Season › 2022-23 › News The Rumour Mill Nkounkou heading back to France Lyndon Lloyd | 15/01/2023 21comments | Jump to last Niels Nkounkou has returned to his native France after securing a loan move to St Etienne. The full-back's loan spell at Cardiff City was ended early this month and, according to Le Parisien, he was set to fly to France on Friday to finalise a temporary switch to Les Vertes who are fighting a battle against relegation from the Ligue 2. Nkounkou was signed for Everton in July 2020 by former Director of Football, Marcel Brands, on a free transfer from Marseilles and, although he made some really promising appearances in some League Cup ties, he ultimately couldn't hold down a place in the first team at Goodison Park. The 22-year-old spent last season in Belgium at Standard Liege where he played 23 league games and he has made 18 appearances this season for Cardiff in the Championship. Article continues below video content Having signed a one-year contract extension with the Toffees, Nkounkou is hoping to further his development during his time away from the club on loan to eventually return and compete for a place in Everton's senior squad before his current terms expire in the summer of 2024. Reader Comments (21) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer () Michael Boardman 1 Posted 13/01/2023 at 17:47:09 He's so obviously shit Bill Gienapp 2 Posted 13/01/2023 at 18:03:50 He's always looked promising in attack, which makes you wonder how he might fare for us if we shifted predominately to a back five. But it's just been one underwhelming loan stint after another. Jeff Armstrong 3 Posted 13/01/2023 at 18:12:54 Thought he was doing well at Cardiff, I didn’t know he’d come back to us, decent standard at St Etienne in the French league, not sure where his Everton career is going, but is he that much worse than Mykolenko or Vinagre, if Lampard wants to play with wingbacks you’d think he would be the best of the three. James Flynn 4 Posted 13/01/2023 at 18:34:29 He so "obviously" a shit left-back and no doubt about it.But I've said and repeat, Niels has the best left foot of any player currently under contract to Everton.Why any club would play him at left-back is a head-scratcher. Yet every club he's been at, does. I'm guessing we won't see him getting minutes next season. He came on a free and will go on one.Damn sweet left foot, though. Tony Everan 5 Posted 13/01/2023 at 18:36:09 Rumours we have bid £20m for Dango Ouatarra at Lorient, but it’s been knocked back. Probably a spread out offer over time. We are in competition with Bournemouth for his signature. A twist in the tale is that Bournemouth’s owner has recently bought 33% of Lorient. James Flynn 6 Posted 13/01/2023 at 18:45:42 Jeff, going forward he was. Defending? Awful. A couple weeks ago, Cardiff just stopped playing him because he was a sieve. Jeff Armstrong 7 Posted 13/01/2023 at 19:19:23 James he’s a left midfielder or a LWB agreed, but with a decent left back behind him in a back 4 he’s probably more productive than say, a Dwight McNeil.Just thinking he might’ve been useful,because currently we’re using the same 15 players, week in, week out, with no results, a good manager would keep his options open. Phil Wood 8 Posted 13/01/2023 at 19:26:49 A real shame. He looked very talented when he first signed.What the hell has happened to him? Clive Rogers 9 Posted 13/01/2023 at 20:22:17 He looked good attacking but is dodgy defending by all accounts. Robert Tressell 10 Posted 13/01/2023 at 21:22:38 I wouldn't get too sentimental. There are loads of players like this. Worth a punt at such low cost but it's not to be. Move on. Tony Abrahams 11 Posted 13/01/2023 at 21:29:52 Interesting observations, although I think it was pretty obvious that this kid wasn’t very good defensively, but definitely had a good offensive game, so not really the type of player needed for a team in a relegation battle? Mike Price 12 Posted 13/01/2023 at 22:42:45 Don’t know much about him but Mykolenko is an absolutely shocking signing.Whoever sanctioned that should be sacked alongside the idiot giving Iwobi an improved contract. Yes, I know, it’s the same moron that has overseen the demise of a great football club. Derek Knox 13 Posted 14/01/2023 at 05:39:18 Maybe a switch to a midfield role, or winger, we might see a different player. Martin Reppion 14 Posted 14/01/2023 at 09:27:49 I seem to remember seeing a game in which both Nkounkou and Moise Kean were outstanding. However, one swallow doesn't make a summer.If people have seen him day-in & day-out in training and in matches, which we haven't, think he isn't up to it, then that must be the case. Mustn't it? Justin Doone 15 Posted 14/01/2023 at 13:33:28 He's got talent but needs to learn how to defend. I'm surprised neither he or Vinegre has had first team game time. Matthew Williams 16 Posted 15/01/2023 at 17:50:36 Which fuckwit sanctioned this move?For me, he'd play on the left wing in our away game down in the Smoke next weekend! Phil Smith 17 Posted 15/01/2023 at 23:26:56 Another great example of a player looking good early days in a few games and then, instead of having an extended run in the side, he was benched and never used again. How are young players expected to develop??? This club is a farce. Ernie Baywood 18 Posted 16/01/2023 at 00:26:13 I'll say, with some comfort, that he's no worse than Mykolenko.But Everton love a trier... Jack Convery 19 Posted 16/01/2023 at 00:32:00 Nkounkou heading back to France - Do you blame him !! Nathan Jones 20 Posted 16/01/2023 at 12:38:49 I’m originally from cardiff and have many cardiff city supporting friends, and still read the match reports. As alluded to my many on here, he can’t defend and cost cardiff a fair few goals, that’s at championship level, premier league forwards would eat him for breakfast. As has also been said here, he is a threat going forward, but also erratic capable of producing passes, crosses and shots that are way way way above championship standard, a real stand out. But he’s also capable of giving the ball away cheaply. Unfortunately at premier league level you really need to have everything and there are lots missing from his game. 21 Posted 28/04/2023 at 11:25:01 Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. How to get rid of these ads and support TW Find out how to browse ad-free and support ToffeeWeb © ToffeeWeb