Marco Silva confirms Everton forward is very much part of his plans

Marco Silva has confirmed that striker Oumar Niasse is very much part of his Everton first-team plans for this coming season.

Niasse joined the Toffees for a £13.5m in January 2016, although he failed to score in his seven appearances that campaign.

Ronald Koeman then replaced Roberto Martinez as Goodison boss, and promptly decided to discard the 28-year-old forward.

Niasse was not even given a squad number by Koeman and was instead loaned out to Silva’s Hull City in January 2017 after not playing a single minute for Everton.

He was called back in from the cold by Koeman eventually, however, netting a brace in a 2-1 win over Bournemouth in September as the Toffees battled against relegation.

Niasse scored nine goals in 25 games last season under Koeman and Sam Allardyce to enhance his reputation, and after a promising pre-season, Silva is willing to work with the striker instead of looking to sell him.

“Of course, Oumar Niasse is in our plans,” Silva told the Liverpool Echo.

“I understand the question as well, we need to understand his football. 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 this evening 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.”

Silva, meanwhile, is said to be chasing the loan signing of either Ruben Loftus-Cheek or Michy Batshuayi from Chelsea this summer.