Collapsed deal, squad number and Everton’s desperation surely won’t change Oumar Niasse’s future

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Oumar Niasse is still unlikely to feature for Everton, despite their need for a striker.

Everton ended the summer transfer window with a host of top quality signings, but they also missed out on landing an important addition – a new centre forward.

Ronald Koeman was backed with new signings such as Jordan Pickford, Cuco Martina, Michael Keane, Davy Klaassen, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Nikola Vlasic, Wayne Rooney and Sandro Ramirez, with Everton emerging as one of the busiest clubs in the transfer market.

Koeman also wanted to bring in a new striker, having sold Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United in July, but they couldn’t get a deal done, with the Daily Mail claiming that they missed out with late bids for Fernando Llorente, Khouma Babacar, Raul Jimenez, Kenneth Zohore, Lucas Perez and Michy Batshuayi.

That leaves Koeman with the likes of Rooney, Ramirez and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to rely on before the January transfer window, with the lack of a new signing unlikely to alter Oumar Niasse’s fortunes under Koeman.

A January 2016 signing from Lokomotiv Moscow, Niasse has failed to make a single appearance for Everton since Koeman’s arrival as manager last summer, freezing him out of the side before loaning him to Hull City in January of this year.

Niasse did flash goalscoring ability for Hull, hitting five goals in 19 games for the Tigers, before returning to Everton – and after a late move to Crystal Palace fell through last week (Daily Mail), the 27-year-old forward is facing up to life at Goodison Park until 2018.

Some have wondered whether the Senegalese international could salvage his Everton career having been given a squad number for the Premier League season – something he wasn’t handed last term – but that still looks unlikely.

Everton’s desperation in attack means that Calvert-Lewin, a young player who impressed so much against Manchester City last month, is more likely to receive increased playing time than facilitate a return to action for Niasse, regardless of how he could provide Everton with a natural centre forward.

Despite receiving a squad number and playing in a position where Everton are short of options, Niasse’s situation on Merseyside looks set to remain bleak, barring a surprise and ultimately unlikely U-turn from Koeman.