Saint-Etienne are reportedly planning to buy Niels Nkounkou this summer - before selling him on again.
The ECHO understands Saint-Etienne do have an option to buy Nkounkou this summer, but it has been set relatively high as Everton think he has potential.
Snapped up by Marcel Brands on a free transfer in July 2020 after his contract at Marseille, where he played 43 times for the B team, had expired, a personal call from Carlo Ancelotti convinced the left-back to come to Goodison Park.
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Nkounkou’s initial three-year contract at Everton was due to expire in 2023 but he penned a new deal until 2024 before being loaned out to Cardiff City last August. Despite making 13 appearances in a row for the Championship side and 18 in total, he fell out of favour in the Welsh capital from mid-December onwards and was recalled by Everton on January 14 so he could be loaned out again to Saint-Etienne.
And now according to French publication L’Equipe, via Sport Witness, Saint-Etienne are planning to buy the full-back and then ‘immediately sell’ him again off the back of the purchase.
The interest is no surprise from the Ligue 2 outfit, as Nkounkou has scored a remarkable six goals from 15 appearances at left-back.
Vitalii Mykolenko has been first choice left-back for most of the season so far but Ben Godfrey has started in the position for the last matches. Ruben Vinagre, who was brought in during the summer transfer window, has made just two substitute appearances in the Premier League.
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