Everton are reportedly on the brink of a deal to bring Conor Coady to the club from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Toffees have already bolstered their defence with the signing of James Tarkowski but are set to be without Ben Godfrey for several months after the ex-Norwich City man fractured his fibula against Chelsea.
As a result, Frank Lampard is seeking to reinforce his backline further before the transfer window closes, and a move for Coady has been strongly mooted.
According to The Mirror, Everton are now close to sealing the 29-year-old's signature on what could be an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy in 2023.
Coady has made 317 appearances for Wolves over the past seven years but did not get on the pitch as Bruno Lage's side lost 2-1 to Leeds United at the weekend.
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Everton were also briefly tipped to welcome Ross Barkley back to Merseyside, but the Chelsea man's time at Goodison Park has seemingly run its course.
Barkley does not appear to have a future at Stamford Bridge either, as the midfielder is out of contract in 2023 and continues to struggle for opportunities under Thomas Tuchel.
According to GIVEMESPORT, Celtic are now one of the latest sides to show an interest in Barkley, but they have a fight on their hands to win the race for his signature.
The likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United and Aston Villa - who previously took Barkley on loan - are also said to be interested in the 28-year-old.
Barkley only made six Premier League appearances for Chelsea last term and was not involved whatsoever against his former club at the weekend.
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Down on the South Coast, Southampton are allegedly hoping to add a new right-back to their ranks in the form of Marseille's Pol Lirola.
The 24-year-old joined Les Olympiens permanently last summer following a successful few months on loan from Fiorentina and registered one goal and two assists in 34 Ligue 1 games last term.
Lirola was an unused substitute in his side's 4-1 success over Reims on Sunday, though, with Igor Tudor preferring the newly-acquired Jonathan Clauss on the right flank.
According to the Daily Mail, Southampton have now approached Marseille to enquire about the possibility of taking the former Spain Under-21 international on loan.
Lirola remains under contract at the Orange Velodrome until 2026 but may find his opportunities limited in the coming months following the arrival of Clauss from Lens.
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Back at Goodison Park, a new striker could also be on the agenda for Everton after sanctioning Richarlison's exit to Tottenham Hotspur for a £60m fee.
According to the Daily Mail, Stuttgart talisman Sasa Kalajdzic is being eyed up as a potential option for the Toffees following his impressive Bundesliga exploits.
The towering 6ft 6in Austrian hit 16 league goals in the 2020-21 season, but he could only find the back of the net six times in 15 Bundesliga games last term due to injury.
Kalajdzic's feats have nevertheless attracted interest from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, so Everton are fighting a real uphill battle to win the race for the 25-year-old.
Kalajdzic only has one year left to run on his contract with Stuttgart, who are keen to avoid losing him on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Ben Knapton
