Oumar Niasse looks set to leave Everton on a free transfer in July after failing to secure a move away before the January transfer window shut. The 29-year-old has been on the periphery for some time, but he’s been unable to find a suitor willing to sign him.
A lack of form and playing time, coupled with a £2.86m-a-year salary, is likely the reason why sides are put off Niasse, but Everton’s failure to offload him is now going to cost them £1.4m in wages for the next six months. They stand no chance of making back the £16m spent in 2016.
Everton have two options left – mutually terminate Niasse’s contract or reintroduce him to the first-team. The Senegalese international has racked up only 19 minutes of playing time this season and finds himself behind Moise Kean, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison in the pecking order, so it’s hard to see him playing under Carlo Ancelotti.
Playing the occasional u23 match while winding his contract down isn’t an ideal situation for anyone, however. Niasse hasn’t scored a goal at senior level for nearly two years, so he’s not going to have a lot of interest from top-flight clubs. Everton don’t want to keep paying for a player that doesn’t want to be a Goodison Park either, but both parties may be resigned to their fate.