Everton Sign Young French Defender

Everton have signed talented France Under-19 left-back Niels Nkounkou on a free transfer from Ligue 1 giants Olympique de Marseille.

The 19-year-old defender has agreed a three-year deal with the Blues after his contract with Marseille expired last month.

Nkounkou, who played for Marseille’s B team in 2019/20 having progressed through the club’s youth ranks, was born in Pontoise, a suburb of Paris.

Everton Director of Football, Marcel Brands, believes the teenager can develop with the Blues and learn from the vast experience of compatriot Lucas Digne and Leighton Baines, who has been offered a new one-year deal by the Club.

“Niels is a young, talented player with good technical and physical skills,” said Brands. “We have been following him for months.

“Hopefully he can learn a lot from Lucas Digne and Leighton Baines, as well as Carlo Ancelotti and David Unsworth, and follow the same pathway into the first team the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Mason Holgate have taken in recent years.”