Paris Saint-Germain pursuing permanent deal for Moise Kean - should Everton take the money?

There are few big-money signings that Evertonians have wanted to succeed more in recent years than Moise Kean.

The 20-year-old was hyped as one of Europe’s most promising young strikers and his arrival was considered quite a coup for the Toffees when he joined for £27m from Juventus in the summer of 2019.

It was the type of signing Marcel Brands was hired to recruit: young, with bags of potential and high sell-on value.

Sadly, and perhaps in true Everton style, things didn’t quite work out as we had hoped.

Kean struggled from the off, though the fans were more than willing to be patient given his young age and how the pace of the Premier League can take some adjusting to even for the most seasoned of players.

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It took him until the end of January to score his first goal, while the previous month he had the ignominy of coming on as a substitute before being taken off again by caretaker boss Duncan Ferguson at Old Trafford.

In total he has four goals in 37 Toffees appearances, two of those coming in the Carabao Cup this season. So when PSG came in for a loan bid it was seen as the ideal solution for all concerned.

Suddenly, Kean rediscovered his mojo, scoring nine goals in just 16 games. Though Ligue 1 is a considerably weaker division than the Premier League.

With Mauricio Pochettino replacing Thomas Tuchel as manager, one of his first jobs is reportedly to secure a permanent deal for the Italy international.

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Sky Sports claims the French champions are in talks with Everton over a transfer worth around £31m. That would represent a £4m profit in a little over 18 months.

So should Everton do the deal?

It would be a real shame to admit failure given the excitement surrounding Kean’s signing. His enormous potential means he could come back to haunt us as well, maybe moving on from PSG in a few years for double the price.

Yet Everton also have to think about the here and now, and a hefty fee for a player they have successfully coped without during the first half of the season would be difficult to turn down.

We saw how grim Everton’s financial results were. And while Carlo Ancelotti’s first XI looks strong, the squad is perilously thin and needs reinforcements.

Therefore I would be hugely tempted to take the money but put in a few sell-on clauses to secure some future revenue should Kean fulfil his undoubted potential.

The money could then be put towards signings elsewhere this month and/or boosting the Toffees worrying bottom line.

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Meanwhile, Alan Myers is reporting that Blackburn want to sign Jarrad Branthwaite on loan for the rest of the season.

A complete no-brainer.

The 18-year-old showed in his fleeting performances at the end of last season that he has the potential to succeed at Premier League level, but needs more experience to hone his game.

That is unlikely to come at Goodison any time soon given the number of senior players ahead of him. So a move to a big Championship club and the chance to play regular competitive football is the perfect solution at this stage of his career.