Exclusive: Everton Move to Tie Down Vitaliy Mykolenko with New Deal Amid Bournemouth Interest

Everton are ready to offer defender Vitaliy Mykolenko a new contract to avoid losing him to Premier League rivals Bournemouth, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

The Ukraine international is out of contract next summer and our sources understand the Toffees are close to tabling a new contract for the 26-year-old, a player manager David Moyes is a big admirer of.

The Cherries are hungry to sign a new left-back following the departure of Milos Kerkez to Premier League champions in the last transfer window.

But Everton are confident they will keep Mykolenko and relaxed they have time to secure a deal, ideally before the January transfer window opens.

The former Dynamo Kiev defender has been with the Toffees since signing on a £17million deal in January 2022.

His fourth-and-a-half-year deal is due to expire in June 2026, but having become a consistent and dependable player in Everton’s team, the club are keen to tie the player down to a new contract.

Thus far he has played 130 games for the club, with 115 of those appearances having been in the Premier League.

Everton are also reportedly in talks with Chelsea to snatch Nicolas Jackson once his loan deal at Bayern Munich ends, with plans for him to link up with Senegal teammate Iliman Ndiaye at Goodison Park.

RUMOURED SNUB

Media reports in his native Ukraine suggested the 50-cap international was ready to snub a new deal with Everton, with Bournemouth circling for his signature.

But Mykloenko was quick to quash those rumours on his personal YouTube channel. 

“That I don’t want to negotiate [contract] with Everton is a complete lie, because we just haven’t talked about it yet,” he said.

“I know my agent will be talking to Everton representatives soon. I don’t even think about it because I like to play for this club, I get a kick out of it here, that’s the most important thing for me."

“My family is comfortable living here. Basically, there is nothing more to say.”

Asked whether the speculation affected him, Mykolenko added: “It doesn’t affect me at all. I know how the coaching staff feels about me, how the club feels about me.”