Everton are racing against time to secure Vitalii Mykolenko’s future at the club, with his contract expiring this summer, but months of talks have yet to produce an agreement despite the club pushing for a deal.
Everton’s squad planning for next season is well underway. David Moyes’ side currently sit eighth in the Premier League table with European football still very much in sight. But behind the scenes, the club are racing against time to secure Vitalii Mykolenko on a new deal.
The Ukrainian international’s current deal expires in June, meaning he could walk away from Hill Dickinson Stadium for nothing at the end of the season. That would bring to a close a four-and-a-half year spell that has seen him establish himself as a mainstay in the Blues’ backline.
Moyes pushing hard for extension
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Everton are now “feverishly” trying to extend Vitalii Mykolenko’s contract. The 26-year-old has supposedly been in talks with the club for months but so far, there has been no breakthrough.
Mykolenko has been very much in favour with David Moyes since the Scot returned for his second spell at the club. He has made 45 appearances under Moyes so far, making him one of the most used players of the second Moyes stint behind only Jordan Pickford, James Tarkowski, James Garner, Jake O’Brien and Iliman Ndiaye.
The defender joined Everton from Dynamo Kyiv in January 2022 for a reported £23.5million. Since then, he has racked up 146 appearances for the Toffees, scoring four goals and providing three assists. While those attacking numbers won’t remind anyone of Leighton Baines in his prime, his defensive contributions have been vital.
Earlier this year, Everton moved to block a potential January exit by triggering an extension clause in his contract, keeping him at the club until June 2027 and fending off interest from Galatasaray. That smart play gave the club breathing room, but the long-term picture remains unclear.
The case for and against keeping him
Mykolenko is a good example of a “Moyes player”. He is disciplined, physically robust, and rarely yields an inch to the Premier League’s high-profile wingers. He has kept the likes of Mohamed Salah quiet on occasion and has been a rare constant in an Everton defence that has often been disrupted by injuries and inconsistency.
But as an overlapping attacking wingback who can swing in a pinpoint cross, he’s just not your man. Some suggest the club should be looking to upgrade the position this summer, with left-back identified as an area of need alongside centre-forward.
European clubs are also monitoring the situation. Real Madrid and AC Milan have both been credited with interest in the past, while unnamed clubs from Spain and Italy are reportedly keeping tabs. Everton would reportedly require an “attractive offer” to consider a sale.
Whether Mykolenko is the long-term answer at left-back or a sellable asset used to reinvest in the squad, the club must act now. Protect the value, secure the player, and avoid another “what if” scenario. The next few weeks will be decisive.
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