A few days ago Oumar Niasse revealed he didn’t have any locker and was also without a suit. But five goals in seven appearances have been the telling thing behind Everton’s resurgence and things have started to change for him.
The Senegalese international, who was continuously ignored by former manager Ronald Koeman, has emerged as a key player under interim manager David Unsworth and is likely to have more opportunity as the season moves forward.
From unwanted player to the unsung hero, the 27-year-old’s graph of form has been on the rise and the current Toffees side have been hugely boosted by his goalscoring traits. He currently has one of the best minutes per goal ratio in the European circuit and even has surpassed Lionel Messi with his unique scoring record.
It was a shocking decision by Koeman not to use him heavily despite the dearth of goals. Niasse was even linked with Crystal Palace on the deadline day but the move failed somehow.
But with Koeman departing the club, it would be rather easy for Niasse to take decisions about his future and it remains to be seen how it unfolds in the near future. On being asked about his rumoured Crystal Palace move he answered, “I was about to come here [Crystal Palace] and at the end it did not happen because they know exactly what happened.
“I am not going to go deep inside of what exactly happened. They know.
“I am happy at Everton. That is it. I moved to come to Palace with the medical check and everything and if that didn’t happen you have to understand.”
With goals drying up for the Merseyside, Niasse should be getting more chances up front. The Toffees have failed to replace Romelu Lukaku’s legacy properly as the likes of Sandro Ramirez and Wayne Rooney were not able to fill his boots.
Rooney has passed his prime while Ramirez has been trying to acclimatise with the rough and tumble nature of the Premier League. So it could be the best chance for the Senegalese ace and he needs to be very patient and gradually has to utilise the opportunities that come towards him.
Everton does have the resource and manpower to survive this season and if he manages to be a pivotal part of that, he might secure a more lucrative contract to extend his stay, which could set the stage for a revival of his footballing career. So staying at the club and believing in his instinct should be on the top of his ‘to-do’ list.
