An Everton attacker is now close to leaving the club in a deadline day exit, according to a fresh update regarding a move to another English club.
Everton transfer news
After a bleak start to the Premier League season for the Blues, supporters will be hoping to have something to shout about at the end of the summer transfer window.
It has been a solid summer in the market for Everton with the likes of Jake O'Brien, Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrom among those who have come in, but given the nature of their respective 3-0 and 4-0 defeats to Brighton and Tottenham, further reinforcements are required.
Time is clearly running out for Sean Dyche in that respect, but one report has claimed that the Blues have been given the opportunity to complete the signing of Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill for a cut-price amount. Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham are also seen as potential suitors, however, and the Englishman could be snapped up for just £5m.
Everton are also reportedly in negotiations to sign Rennes ace Lorenz Assignon, with the 24-year-old right-back someone who could add much-needed youth to a key area of the pitch where Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman are ageing figures. Now, a Goodison exit update has dropped regarding one figure, but it isn't Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Everton attacker closing in on exit
According to Football Insider, Everton striker Francis Okoronkwo has agreed to join Salford City on loan for the entirety of the 2024/25 season, being given the green light to move on. The 19-year-old originally moved to Goodison Park from Sunderland in a £1m move back in 2021, but it looks as though a temporary move away this summer has been decided to be best for his development.
This makes complete sense for Okoronkwo more than anything, considering the teenager is unlikely to be deemed an important part of Dyche's plans this season, given his lack of experience. The Englishman is yet to make an appearance for Everton at senior level, despite joining the club three years ago, instead being limited to playing time for the Under-23s and Under-18s, making a combined 65 outings.
Okoronkwo has done well in that time, though, scoring 20 goals and registering eight assists, and he could grow further as a player at League Two side Salford, testing himself up against older players before returning to Goodison a better footballer than before.
Whether he has a long-term future at Everton remains to be seen, but now is the time for him to excel away from Merseyside and show that he can handle a different challenge.
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Assuming the move goes through, how Okoronkwo fares between now and the end of the season could determine whether the Blues feel he is worth persevering with or not. For that reason, the pressure on him to show that he is now capable of making the jump from youth to senior football for an extended period.