Everton’s plans to offload Arouna Kone were hit by an eleventh-hour hitch.
Ronald Koeman anticipated that Kone would leave the Blues before the January transfer window shut and revealed that the striker had attracted interest.
The Ivory Coast international had been expected to end his Everton career by securing a short-term switch to Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace.
Kone’s existing Goodison Park deal is currently set to expire in the summer and the Eagles were willing to take him on for the remainder of this season.
But Palace’s attempt to make the 33-year-old one of their deadline day signings failed to materialise despite Sam Allardyce’s successful capture of Mamadou Sakho.
To date, Kone has recorded just 10 goals in a total 69 appearances for Everton since joining from Wigan Athletic in summer 2013.