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Everton Loanee Onyekuru Hints at Possible Early Return From Season-Long Anderlecht Loan

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Henry Onyekuru has opened up about whether he will make a January return to parent club Everton.

The £7m summer signing has spent the first three months fo the season on loan at Belgian side Anderlecht, and has impressed with his displays and goalscoring exploits.

Talk of a potential early return to Goodison Park have emerged since then as the Toffees eye bringing Onyekuru back home to bolster their attacking options and, in an interview with Belgian paper DH, the 20-year-old forward appeared to suggest that could be a possibility.

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He said: “I don’t know if I’ll stay until the end of the season. I cannot promise anything. I’m not saying I’m leaving, but we’ll see.”

In further comments published by HLN, Onyekuru added to that brief statement by continuning to remain over the possiblity of leaving Anderlecht earlier than anticipated.

He said: “Everything happens for a reason. I don’t have my work permit to play in England, but it’s going the right direction. Anderlecht was the right choice for me now. 

"What happens during the market, we’ll see that again. I have never said that I want to leave Anderlecht in the winter. Maybe there are clubs interested in me but I focus on Anderlecht.

"I know: everything is possible in football and I’m owned by Everton, but I’m not saying I’m staying or leaving.”

Ex-Blues boss Ronald Koeman had allegedly held talks with Onyekuru and Anderlecht about cutting short his loan stint early in a bid to find a solution to his team's poor scoring form this term before the Dutchman's sacking.

European rules state that season-long loans cannot be cut short if a fee is involved in transferring a player temporarily to another club, while Onyekuru's lack of a work permit to ply his trade in the Premier League have also added another obstacle to his predictament.

Everton have the option to argue that the Nigeria internaitonal should be allowed to come back to the UK and play in England's top flight on the grounds of "exceptional talent" but questions remain if they would win any case put forward to UEFA.