A report by Football Insider has suggested that Matthew Pennington has played his final game in an Everton shirt, having sealed a loan switch to League One side Shrewsbury.
The Shropshire club confirmed their capture of the Toffees academy product on loan for the remainder of the season ahead of the January window opening. The League One side, managed by Steve Cotterill, have brought in the central defender in the hope that he can increase their robustness at the back.
Pennington has previously had loan spells with Leeds United, Ipswich Town and Hull City in the Championship. The 26-year-old has not made a first team appearance for his parent club since April 2017 and instead features for the Everton under-23s, for whom he has made nine appearances this season.
A club insider source told Football Insider that Everton have no plans to offer Pennington a new deal and are content for him to be a free agent in July. Carlo Ancelotti does not see the defender as capable of breaking into the Everton first team squad, according to the report.
Read Everton Verdict
A permanent move away from Goodison Park is in the best interests of all parties. It was clear that Pennington, at 26, was destined to only ever be a peripheral figure at Everton. No longer a young prospect, he can now look forward to some regular game-time in the Football League
There is also now a clear pathway for Pennington to make his stay at Shrewsbury a permanent one. Expect him to be one of many outcasts moved on by Everton in either the current window or the summer.
