Have Everton made mistake with permanent option in Fraser Hornby loan?

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Everton have loaned Fraser Hornby out to Belgian club KV Kortrijk, but the deal apparently includes an option to buy.

Everton loaning Fraser Hornby appears to make a lot of sense with the 19-year-old still awaiting the chance to make a second appearance for the Toffees first-team, having made his debut during the 2017/18 campaign.

The Scotland under-21 international would surely benefit from much more regular game-time at senior level. He boasted a frightening record – 16 goals in 20 games – in the under-18 Premier League, and has continued to do well now that he is playing regularly in Premier League 2.

But a loan move could provide Hornby with a real chance to show exactly why he has the potential to make the step up at Goodison Park and push for a chance in Marco Silva’s plans.

A switch to Belgian top flight side KV Kortrijk looks to be an intriguing one, especially with the club confirming on their official website that he rejected a number of Championship sides to join De Kerels.

But perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the deal comes from the fact that the Toffees have seemingly left the door open for a permanent move to take place further down the line, with the club’s announcement confirming that KVK have the option to keep the striker beyond the end of his loan spell.

It is not going to be easy for Hornby to force his way into the first-team on Merseyside, but it looks to be a potential mistake to agree an option which could lead to his permanent departure.

Even after the arrival of Moise Kean in the summer, it would not be a surprise if Silva was hoping to bolster his striker options at some stage in the near future with the likes of Cenk Tosun and Oumar Niasse struggling since joining the Toffees.

A fantastic year in Belgium could have perhaps put Hornby right on the manager’s radar. But the better the year he has out on loan, surely the more likely it is that KV Kortrijk will look to sign him permanently. At this stage, it looks to be a real gamble from the Toffees to apparently agree that kind of clause.