According to the Liverpool Echo, Oumar Niasse will be pushed ‘through the exit door’ as his contract is up this summer. The 29-year-old made only three Premier League appearances before the season was postponed due to the Covid-19 virus, so he won’t be missed at Goodison Park. One regret the Toffees may have is not cashing in on his signature.
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Everton tried to offload Niasse to Leeds United and Nottingham Forest in January, but the striker rebuffed their interest. The Toffees also tried to sell Niasse to Lokomotiv Moscow before the winter window closed, but the Senegal international turned down their interest as he wanted a return to Turkey.
Everton paid £13.5m to sign the striker from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2016 and agreed a £2.86m-a-year/£55k-per-week deal until 2020. They’ve spent almost £25m on a player who’s scored only nine goals in 42 games and hasn’t found the back of the net in the Premier League since May 2018.
Niasse has struggled for form and playing time under Marco Silva, Duncan Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti. He finds himself behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison, Moise Kean in the pecking order and is surplus to requirements on Merseyside.
Everton have been stung losing a £13.5m striker for free, let alone not getting a penny of his £2.86m-a-year wages back, but they’ll at least cut their losses when Niasse’s contract is up. The Blues tried to sell him on multiple occasions, but he rejected the suitors and will now have to find himself a new club over the summer.