New Everton manager Marco Silva has confirmed that Oumar Niasse is part of his plans at the club and will not be sold this summer.
Niasse has been cast into the wilderness by Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce during his time at Everton so far, but the Senegal international has been in good form during pre-season with five goals from just two games.
The 28-year-old previously worked with Silva during a loan spell at Hull City in 2017, and the Portuguese boss is confident that Niasse can offer something "different" to his other striking options Cenk Tosun and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
"Of course, Oumar Niasse is in our plans. I understand the question as well, we need to understand his football," Silva told reporters.
"He is a player who can give different things than the other players we have in this position. He is different than all the others when you look at Cenk and at the other boy Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
"Oumar Niasse is completely different and in some moments, like in the second half, or when he starts games, he will give different things to the others. It is a matter of my decision, in the right moments of the game."
Niasse has made only 32 first-team appearances during his two-and-a-half-year stay at Goodison Park, scoring nine goals.
Barney Corkhill
