Everton defender Niels Nkounkou is set to sign a contract extension with the Toffees ahead of a season-long loan move to Championship side Cardiff City.
According to L’Equipe, the 21-year-old French youth international will join the Bluebirds for the year whilst also committing his future to Everton, with Nkounkou set to sign a new contract that will extend his stay at Goodison Park after joining the club in 2020 from Olympique Marseille.
Nkounkou has made seven first-team appearances in total for Everton with the fullback spending last year out on loan with Belgian giants Standard Liege, where the defender made 25 caps for the Jupiler Pro League side as Cardiff now look set to sign the youngster on a temporary basis.
Regarded by many as one of Everton’s most exciting talents, Nkounkou has been a regular for France at youth level for some time with the defender even representing Les Bleus in last year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, and the fullback could one day become a regular for the Merseyside club in the coming years.
However, the decision to loan him out to the Championship to Cardiff is a great decision from Everton, as is the one to extend his contract, with Nkounkou now set to earn valuable experience playing in one of the most physically demanding leagues in Europe as well as getting to grips with the English brand of football.
Indeed, with Cardiff also one of the favourites for promotion this season, Nkounkou could play a key role for Steve Morison in his quest to get the Welsh giants back into the Premier League, and for the defender himself, the Championship is the perfect league to take his game to the next level.
Nkounkou and Everton have made a masterstroke signing for Cardiff on loan
Nkounkou impressed last season in Belgium with Liege, and this year could see the youngster take his game to a new level if he can hit the ground running with Cardiff, who could be the perfect club for the 21-year-old to develop his skills and to get to grips with the English footballing system.
As mentioned, Cardiff are in with a shout of promotion this season, and with Nkounkou now coming in on loan, the Bluebirds have an excellent fullback to call-upon throughout the year in a deal that could be a huge boost to the club’s chances of a return to the Premier League.
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