The biggest positive to come out of last night’s Carabao Cup win for Everton over Salford City was the performance of Niels Nkounkou. Might he help solve the Blues wide attacking quandries?
During this transfer window there have been ongoing rumours and stories that Everton have been tracking various wide attacking players such as Wilfried Zaga and Cengiz Under.
Although the Crystal Palace man is apparently keen to quit Selhust Park this summer and join the Toffees, that deal seems unlikely given Palace’s track record.
If last summer’s saga over Zaha is anything to go by, it’s probable that they would prove awkward and would still want a substantial fee, something Everton might well balk at having already spent big in this window.
There have been some reports, which claim the Blues only paid a nominal fee for James Rodriguez or even got him on a free transfer.
However, even if that’s true, given all the issues over FFP, it’s not likely the club have a lot more money left in their transfer kitty to splash out on new talent. Certainly not without substantial sales of existing squad players.
As for Under, it now seems that he will be going to Leicester City and so Everton have lost out on the Turkish player, despite supposedly putting a substantial bid on the table only 24 hours ago.
To complicate matters even further, last night the Toffees lost another centre-back to injury as Jarrad Branthwaite went down hurt after 25 minutes of the cup tie.
So if the Blues are going to sign any more players, whether permanently or on loan, it seems highly probable they will be focusing their efforts on bringing in central defenders now. It now seems less and less likely the club will be dipping into the market for more attacking players.
Some might think that Everotn don’t need any more width or pace up front. I do think it would be advantageous though and it would enable the Toffees to play different formations and cope with injuries to their new players, who are already key figures in the new-look team.
Given that, might a player who was only signed a few months ago and was at first considered to be only a long-term prospect, help provide that additional attacking option?
19-year-old Nkounkou, was snaffled up from Marseille in a little-heralded deal just before the end of last season.
He is a classic Marcel Brands signing. A talented young footballer with a great deal of promise and a player who will hopefully go on to become successful at Everton and provide added possible sell-on value in the future.
I admit I’d never heard of the young French left-back when the deal was announced, I suspect that was true of most Evertonians.
The expectation was that he would go into the club’s reserves as he was third in line at left-back behind Lucas Digne and Leighton Baines.
Then Baines unexpectedly retired and the Blues had no cover for Digne. That meant it was possible he would be called upon much sooner than anticipated.
To that end, Nkounkou had some playing time before the season began in the Toffees pre-season friendlies, but last night he got his full debut and he certainly didn’t disappoint.
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The teenager was confident, calm, assured and showed plenty of ability on the ball. He was very willing to get forward and offered a real outlet on the left-hand side. He looks a real player.
Although he normally plays left-back, he can also operate further forward and on last night’s evidence certainly has the tools to do so effectively. He’s also a left-footed player, something Everton value.
Obviously he’s had very little game-time and is also young. But the same was true of Jarrad Branthwaite when he stepped into the first-team and he would now be considered a perfectly viable option to start again, if he was fit. It’s a case of if they’re good enough, they’re old enough.
While Nkounkou certainly wouldn’t be playing regularly, he could come into the team occasionally and operate in a wide position and use his pace, power and youthful energy, to provide something different.
Well it’s an option for Carlo Ancelotti to consider. Whatever the exact role he plays, I think that the Frenchman has certainly made a compelling case for getting his chance sooner rather than later.