Koeman performs huge Niasse U-turn
Everton boss Ronald Koeman has performed a huge U-turn on Oumar Niasse after failing to find a replacement for Romelu Lukaku during the summer transfer window.
The Dutch coach has returned striker Oumar Niasse to Everton's first team squad after he was unable to sign the striker he wanted follow Lukaku's departure to Manchester United.
Speaking at a press-conference on Thursday, Koeman confirmed that the previously out-of-favour forward, who spent the end of last season on-loan at Hull City, is now an option for the rest of the season to try and fill the void left by Romelu Lukaku,
"It's not necessary to speak any more about what happened last season, I found that now is the right time to bring him back to the first team.
"He's an Everton player and sometimes in life you need to give some opportunities.
"Last season was a different season; maybe we had other strikers so we found it difficult to find a position for him.
"But his behaviour was perfect. He played games for the under-23s and I think now is the right time to bring him back to the first team. He needs to fight like every player for his opportunity."
This is some U-turn from the Dutchman who, just one year ago, publicly wrote off the striker signed from Lokomotiv Moscow for £13.5m in January 2016 and said the Senegalese international would not have an Everton career during his managerial tenure at Goodison Park.
Niasse was stripped of a squad number, demoted to the U23s and was not even given a locker at the club's training ground.
Koeman underlined at numerous times last season that Niasse would not be part of his plans and that he was free to leave the club.
However, this spectacular change in tone from the Everton boss means that the striker finally has a chance to prove Koeman wrong. Everton did manage to sign Sandro Ramirez from Malaga this summer but the Toffees were targeting another striker as they prepare to compete across four competitions.