Koeman happy to sell Everton striker

Everton manager Ronald Koeman has indicated that he would be willing to let Ivorian forward Arouna Kone leave the club. The striker has been variously linked with Premier League sides Crystal Palace and Swansea City, as well as Championship teams Queens Park Rangers and Wolverhampton.

During his pre-match press conference today, the Dutchman said -

“It is possible he will leave. I don’t know (if it will be before the window), he is training and doing well but he likes to play, but we have used other players than Arouna.

“I have had some offers for him.”

After joining Everton in 2013 from Wigan Athletic along with manager Roberto Martinez, Kone extended his original three-year contract this summer by one more year. However, under Koeman, he has not had much opportunity to play, featuring only six times,

But Kone has struggled to force his way into Koeman’s thinking this season, making just six appearances and scoring twice, both times against Yeovil Town in the EFL Cup.

With Everton not having much depth behind Romelu Lukaku, it was thought that Koeman would keep him as a backup striker during this January transfer window. However, Koeman has now indicated that he is happy to use Enner Valencia as a back-up for Lukaku, which leaves Kone free to leave.