Former Everton and Premier League youngster Niels Nkounkou continues to make his mark in the Bundesliga with the all-action left-back blossoming into the ‘driving force’ of this Eintracht Frankfurt side.
With three goals and three assists to show from an impressive debut season in the Bundesliga – as well as a Player of the Month nomination for January – the 23-year-old Frenchman is most certainly showcasing the talent which had Everton leaping at the opportunity to bring Niels Nkounkou when his Marseille contract expired back in 2020.
But that is not to say Nkounkou is the finished article. Far from it.
As German publication Fussball News puts it, there were a few ‘hari-kari’ defensive moments during Frankfurt’s 2-1 win at surprise packages FC Heidenheim last time out. Nkounkou, the report adds, continues to toe the line between ‘genius and madness’, and there are still ‘problems he has to fix’.
But as the summer signing from St Etienne crashed a shot into the Heidenheim net, taking his number of goals or assists in the Bundesliga to six, the visiting supporters could be forgiven – as they rose to their feet in jubilation – for feeling that the plusses far outweigh the negatives, for now at least.
Everton may live to regret £2 million sale
Nkounkou made only two Premier League appearances for Everton between 2020 and 2023.
The Toffees sold the former France Under 21 international to St Etienne after an impressive loan spell in France, and the now-Ligue 2 outfit wasted no time in making a considerable profit when Frankfurt came calling later that very same window, slapping a cool £7 million down onto Les Verts’ table.
And if, as some have suggested, Nkounkou blossoms into the second-coming of Frankfurt icon Filip Kostic – a star performer in their 2022 Europa League triumph – that investment will prove to be £7 million very well spent indeed.
Six goals or assists in just 8 starts
Now, it would perhaps be a little unfair to suggest Everton dropped the ball when allowing Nkounkou to leave Goodison Park, even if the £2 million fee St Etienne pays looks very much on the light side in hindsight.
Nkounkou was stuck behind Vitaliy Mykolenko in the Toffees’ pecking order, after all. And Mykolenko has been one of the most improved players in the Premier League over the last 12 months or so.
But still, with Everton’s squad lacking cover in several key areas – including at left-back – and with Dyche once again bemoaning a lack of ruthlessness in last week’s defeat to West Ham, the sight of Niels Nkounkou bursting into the box and slamming in his sixth goal contribution in only eight Bundesliga starts is one a long-suffering fanbase could have done without.
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