Everton academy product Matthew Pennington is looking to end his 14-year association with the Toffees in order to “crack on” with his career.
Pennington joined the Blues’ academy at the age of 11 but has struggled to establish himself in the first-team at Goodison Park, with the now 25-year-old making just the nine senior outings.
The centre-back last made a first-team appearance for Everton in April 2017 during a Premier League encounter with Leicester City and has since enjoyed mixed loan spells with Leeds United, Ipswich Town and currently Hull City.
He had been with Coventry City and Walsall on temporary terms before heading to Elland Road, too, but has had enough of loan spells and wants to find a permanent home for himself when the transfer window opens.
“I’m thinking I need a home in the summer, somewhere to put my roots down and crack on with my career,” Pennington told the Hull Daily Mail. “I’ve been on loan quite a lot now, so I’m looking for that place to settle down and really push on with my career.
“Every transfer window you’re thinking ‘Where could I be next?’ and even for personal relationships, it’s difficult when you’re travelling around the country.
“That’s part of the game and part of my life for the past five years, so it would be nice to settle down somewhere but football changes very quickly anyway. You could be on a permanent deal somewhere and still find yourself moving every window. It’s part and parcel of the game but it does take its toll after a while.”
Pennington being open to moving on from Everton after 14-years will come as a positive for the Blues hierarchy, as there is no reason why the 6ft centre-half would be deserving of a first-team future under Carlo Ancelotti next season.
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The 25-year-old made 30 appearances as part of the Ipswich Town defence that ended the 2018/19 Championship season rock bottom of the table having conceded the second-most goals (77) of any side.
He has since moved to the KCOM Stadium to play for Hull, but has struggled for game time with only nine outings all league term, left on the bench 18 times and left out of the matchday squad on nine occasions before the season was postponed.
Pennington made eight of his Championship appearances for Hull since Boxing Day, too, over which the Tigers won twice and lost on every other occasion the former England U19 international was on the field.
With a TransferMarkt valuation of just £900,000, Everton should not expect to make much, if anything, by selling Pennington, but his future is not at Goodison Park so the fee should be the least of the club’s concerns.
In other Everton news, Marcel Brands has landed a huge boost in the club’s plans to sign a €30m hitman after the 44-cap ace handed in a transfer request.