Ronald Koeman froze out the strike duo and reports suggest they are heading to Hull City and QPR respectively.
Ronald Koeman may have struggled to convince the big names that Goodison Park is the place to be since taking charge in the summer, with Morgan Schneiderlin the latest Everton-linked player in danger of slipping through the net. However, the Toffees could still end the January transfer window boasting a more stream-lined, purposeful squad.
The straight-talking Dutchman has made it clear from day one that those who do no’t meet his required standard must shape up or face up to the prospect of being shipped out. If local lad Ross Barkley could find himself under such scrutiny, then Oumar Niasse and Arouna Kone were never going to get off lightly.
Niasse, Everton’s second most expensive signing just a year ago, Niasse (below) was relegated immediately to the reserves, never to be seen again, after Koeman took the reigns while injury-prone, goal-shy Kone has featured in just 43 minutes of Premier League action this season.
Now, after barren 2016s, they are both set to begin 2017 in new surroundings with Hull City handing Niasse a Premier League lifeline via a six-month loan, according to the Daily Mail, while Kone has attracted interest from QPR, according to Get West London.
Koeman’s hard-lined approach has divided Everton supporters thus far, particularly those who believe Barkley and Gerard Deulofeu, two of the most naturally gifted players in a workmanlike squad, deserve a second chance.
On the other side, however, nice guys rarely finish first. Even Claudio Ranieri callously froze out Gokhan Inler, refusing to sanction his exit and costing him a place in Switzerland’s Euro 2016 squad.
Therefore, Koeman’s ruthless approach is a necessary evil if Everton are to break through the glass ceiling and challenge at the very top in the coming years. Trimming the fat, you could call it.
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