Everton's on-loan left-back Ruben Vinagre could look to make an early departure from Goodison Park during the upcoming January transfer window. 

The Lowdown: Vinagre's time with Everton

The Toffees signed the defender in July on a season-long loan from Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon. Since then, the 23-year-old has made just four appearances for the Merseysiders across the Premier League and Carabao Cup.

With the January transfer window set to open in just over a week's time and with Everton already terminating Salomon Rondon's contract after he had barely a look-in during the campaign, the club could now see Vinagre swiftly follow the striker out the door.

The Latest: Vinagre eyeing Everton exit

According to a recent report from Portuguese media outlet A Bola (via Sport Witness), Vinagre could look to join another club in January due to the lack of regular playing time he has had at Everton so far this season.

The report adds that Frank Lampard's side have an option to sign the defender on a permanent basis for a fee of €20m (£17m), but are unlikely to do so as things stand.

The Verdict: Everton should keep hold of Vinagre

Having been given the chance to prove his worth in the Carabao Cup by playing the full 90 minutes in Everton's matches against Fleetwood Town and Bournemouth, the Portuguese full-back didn't show why he deserves to be a regular figure in the team.

His performances in those two games earned him a rather underwhelming overall rating of 6.26/10 from WhoScored, leaving 13 other Everton players who featured in the competition with higher ratings.

However, even though Vinagre has not been particularly impressive this season, letting him leave next month could be a risk for the Toffees given how they only have one other predominant left-back in their squad, namely Vitaliy Mykolenko.

While it would be understandable if the Portuguese defender has not been pleased with his spell at Goodison Park so far, Everton should keep hold of him until the end of the season and then make a decision regarding what they want to do with him.