Blues pondering whether to give Myk a new deal

EVERTON tied James Tarkowski and Jordan Pickford down to new contracts this month. But should Vitalii Mykolenko be next on the list?

- By CHRIS BEESLEY

Tarkowski, who is the Blues' de facto leader on the pitch given that club captain Seamus Coleman has made just three Premier League starts since the beginning of last season, penned a deal until the summer of 2028 on October 8. Meanwhile, Pickford, the second longest serving player at the club, committed himself until 2029 on October 16.

The ECHO understands that midfielder James Garner is now Everton's priority when it comes to a new contract but with Mykolenko's current deal also due to expire at the end of the current season, the Ukraine international is approaching a significant period.

This week, Mykolenko found himself the subject of BBC Sport's Football Gossip Column as the outlet cited Footmercato as reporting that he is attracting interest from clubs in both Spain and Italy.