It is time for another loan report at The Toffee Blues. Ryan Astley and Tyler Onyango are still out injured so there will be no report on them and their respective teams this week.
Süper Lig
Dele – Besiktas
Besiktas played their first competitive match in just over three weeks following the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. In emotional scenes, Besiktas fans threw stuffed toys onto the pitch for children affected by the tragedy.
The match, a 0-0 draw with Antalyaspor, was Dele’s first league start since the end of January. However, he could not affect the game, and was brought off at half-time.
The Super Eagles manager, Şenol Güneş, has made it clear that Dele will not be joining on a permanent deal irrespective of how he plays until the end of the season. Güneş said ‘Alli did not add the efficiency we thought of as a game … he runs a lot, but has problems in assisting and scoring goals’.
Jean-Philippe Gbamin – Trabzonspor
Gbamin is still making his way back from injury, and was an unused substitute in the Europa Conference League tie with FC Basel, in which Trabzonspor were defeated 2-1 on aggregate.
Their next game is this Saturday, and Gbamin will be looking to start a game for the first time in almost two months.
With his contract expiring next summer, it is highly likely the Toffees will be looking to cash in on the Ivorian.
Eredivisie
Jarrad Branthwaite – PSV Eindhoven
Branthwaite has continued his run of games in the PSV side, starting all three games since the last report. On Thursday, he was part of the PSV squad that was knocked out of the Europa League 3-2 on aggregate, but they continued their fine league form, defeating FC Twente 3-1. Branthwaite then provided an assist in PSV’s 3-1 win over ADO Den Haag in the Quarter Finals of the KNVB Beker.
The 20-year-old, who continues to impress, has won over 60% of his aerial duels this season, higher than Conor Coady and not too dissimilar to James Tarkowski.
Given how well he has performed whilst out on loan, the Blues should certainly be looking at integrating him into the first-team set up from next season, although they may have to fight off interest from a host of top European clubs.
Joao Virginia – SC Cambuur
Virginia did not play in SC Cambuur’s last game, a 2-1 defeat to AZ Alkmaar. As mentioned last week, it is now highly unlikely that Virginia will force his way back into the team, and this loan will likely go down as another failed one.
Everton should be looking to offload the Portuguese in the summer.
Ligue 1
André Gomes – Lille
Gomes played the full 90 minutes last Friday as Lille beat Brest 2-1, closing the gap to fourth place to just four points.
Sports journalist Zachary Lowry was highly complimentary of his performance in the game, calling it ‘exceptional’. He went on to write ‘some lovely switches to break down Brest’s defence, constantly playing is forward and putting in some fine last-ditch tackles to regain possession’.
Gomes is flourishing out on loan, and it will be interesting to see whether Sean Dyche will want to have a look at him in pre-season, or whether the club will want to offload him.
Ligue 2
Niels Nkounkou – Saint-Étienne
The 22-year-old put in another great display last weekend as Saint-Étienne continued their winning run. They were 2-0 victors last Saturday against Pau.
Following his fantastic performances since joining Saint-Étienne, Nkounkou has been nominated for February’s Ligue 2 Player of the Month. At the time of writing, Nkounkou has two thirds of the votes on Twitter, with voting closing on Friday.
It is great to see Nkounkou flourishing on loan in the second half of the season, after struggling sometimes with Cardiff City earlier on.
Championship
Tom Cannon – Preston North End
In the last report, it was said that it would only be a matter of time before Tom Cannon got his first goal for Preston North End. And that is exactly what happened last weekend.
Cannon scored his first goal in a 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic, also picking up the MOTM award. Many Preston fans and journalists alike commented on how well he played, and hopefully his first goal at senior level will boost his confidence even more.
Preston play Watford this Saturday, and Cannon will be hoping to build on his goal and good performance from last weekend.
English Football League One
Lewis Dobbin – Derby County
Derby County got back to winning ways on Tuesday evening with a 2-0 win over Cheltenham. Lewis Dobbin also got his third goal of the season in a comfortable win for the Rams.
It was a game that Dobbin started, following the recent debate amongst fans online about whether he is better as an impact sub or whether he is better from the start.
Fans were impressed with his display, with some arguing that he was robbed of MOTM. Dobbin gave the Cheltenham defence a torrid time, with some fine footwork and great movement.
Many Rams fans want the 20-year-old to stay, however it is expected that he will return to Everton following the completion of his loan.
Lewis Gibson – Bristol Rovers
Gibson made his first appearance in over two months, playing 77 minutes in a 3-0 victory over Oxford United. This was only The Gas’ second clean sheet in the past seventeen games.
Hopefully Gibson’s injury problems are behind him and he can get a good run in the Rovers team.
Lewis Warrington – Fleetwood Town
The Cod Army are unbeaten in their last five league games after their 1-0 win over Morecambe on Saturday. Warrington played the majority of the game, being substituted in the final few minutes of the game.
He was also part of the squad that fell to a 1-0 defeat in the 90th minute to Championship high flyers Burnley in the FA Cup sixth round on Wednesday evening. Warrington also played the full game, and did not look out of place against a Burnley side who will be playing Premier League football next season.
Fans again were impressed with Warrington’s controlled displays in both games, with many wanting to keep him for a further year.
However, with how well he has been playing and the plaudits he has been getting, it would not be surprising to see him within the Toffee’s first-team setup next season.
National League North
Harry Tyrer – Chester
Chester have won their last two games 2-1, with Harry Tyrer instrumental in both games. The victories have moved them up to third in the table.
After the victories, Tyrer did his trademark celebration of jumping in with the fans, something which has seen him fast become a fans favourite.
Many fans want to extend Tyrer’s stay at the club, pointing to Jordan Pickford’s contract extension as a reason. However, following his brilliant performances, they may not be able to keep hold of him, as Everton may want to see if he can perform at a higher level.
About The Author
Leave a Reply