David Moyes confirms plans to keep Vitali Mykolenko at Everton

The Ukraine international will be free to speak to overseas clubs from January 1, four years after joining the Blues from Dynamo Kyiv for an initial fee of seventeen million pounds. Mykolenko has been a regular since arriving on Merseyside and remains Everton's only senior left-back currently available.

Moyes has said discussions are already under way and is hopeful of a positive outcome.

He said: "We're in talks with Myko as well. These have been ongoing and we're doing a lot more things behind the scenes.

"We're not coming out and discussing them all the time. There have been a lot of things ongoing for quite a while. Hopefully we'll get a solution sooner rather than later."

Everton head to Burnley in the Premier League looking to end a run of two straight defeats. Mykolenko is expected to start again, having made 138 appearances for the club and scored four goals. He has featured 16 times in all competitions this season.

Moyes was also pleased with Mykolenko's recent display against Arsenal, where he was tasked with containing Bukayo Saka.

He said: "Yeah, he's done well. He's done well against quite a few of the wide boys this year. There are a lot of really good wingers in the Premier League and I think he's done quite well, so hopefully we can retain him."

The Everton manager also dismissed suggestions of any issue with Dwight McNeil amid speculation linking the winger with Nottingham Forest.

He said: "Not at all, I get on great with Dwight. We talk quite a lot about the situation and where he's been.

"He has to fight to get back in, but he will get opportunities between now and the end of the season to show what he can do."

McNeil returned to the starting line-up against Arsenal after a long spell out injured, with Moyes insisting his focus remains firmly on performances rather than rumours.