Everton are interested in signing Dynamo Kiev left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko.
The Blues have set their sights on the 22-year-old ahead of the January transfer window.
Dynamo will demand a fee in the region of £20m for the Ukraine international and are not open to loaning him.
Rafa Benitez has been working under the belief that loans may only be possible in the market next month but the club have told the Everton boss there is sufficient room in the wage bill to potentially add Mykolenko.
One Goodison source told the ECHO that Mykolenko has been high on the club's wishlist for months and Everton rate him as one of the leading young left-backs in Europe.
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The transfer fee, in accounting terms, will be spread over the length of any contract the left-back signs, if a deal goes through, making his signing possible.
There have also been suggestions that Mykolenko flew into England today to discuss the move with the Dynamo manager Mircea Lucescu reportedly saying: “Vitaliy Mykolenko is going to Everton.
“He will be the first big transfer out of Dynamo since Yarmolenko."
Should a move for Mykolenko happen then it will further place into doubt the Goodison future of Lucas Digne.
The France left-back was due to be recalled to the Everton team for tonight's game with Chelsea, after being left out of back-to-back squads, after a falling out with Benitez.
But having trained on Tuesday, Digne reported himself ill on Wednesday and ruled himself out of the game.
It is unclear if Digne will push for a move out of the club in January with Benitez coy on his future, when asked yesterday.
But Benitez appears set on adding a new left-back to the squad along with a new right-back and a new midfielder.
