Football
Exclusive: Everton Move to Tie Down Vitaliy Mykolenko with New Deal Amid Bournemouth Interest
Everton set to offer Vitaliy Mykolenko a new contract to ward off interest from Bournemouth. Defender's current deal expires in 2026, he is keen to stay. Mykolenko has refuted claims of snubbing Everton and is happy at the club. Cherries are seeking a left-back replacement.
Everton v Crystal Palace - Premier League by Sportsphoto/Allstar | Getty Images
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.”
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.