'One thing I know' - Neal Maupay gives latest Everton transfer admission amid Marseille interest

Neal Maupay has spoken out on his Everton future in a rare open admission with his contract set to run out at the end of the season.

The Frenchman has been the subject of strong interest from Ligue 1 club Marseille, with a proposal having already been rejected. The French club submitted a loan offer with an option-to-buy, but the Toffees knocked back the proposal. Everton have an option to extend Maupay’s deal by another year and would rather he left permanently, rather than on loan, this summer.

He managed eight goals and four assists in all competitions last season on loan at Brentford but his record at Everton makes for poor reading; one goal and two assists in 32 games. With Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Beto and Iliman Ndiaye ahead of him in the pecking order. It looks unlikely he will remain as Everton will hope to recoup some of the £15m they spent to acquire him from Brighton in 2022.

With questions over his future rumbling on, the striker recently spoke out before the transfer interest from Marseille on ‘The Peter Crouch Podcast’. After Peter Crouch asked him whether he was happy at Everton, he replied: “Yeah actually I’m enjoying myself.

“I think last year was a very good boost for me. I went back to a place where I knew everyone and obviously my confidence went back up again. I think that’s something I really needed, and now I’m back here I’m fit, ready to play, and in football you never know what tomorrow will be. One thing I know for sure is I’m ready to go, and I’m actually looking forward to this season.”

Maupay is one of a number of players who have entered the final year of their deals at Goodison Park. Idrissa Gueye, Michael Keane, Mason Holgate, Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucoure are all squad members who could leave for nothing next summer which is somewhat of a worry for Everton going forward - especially with the uncertainty over the club’s financials and league position.