Sean Lunt of Sport Witness is reporting that Everton have logged an interest in Almeria midfielder Dion Lopy, going so far as to say that the Toffees are "edging closer" to a move for the Senegal international.
The reported fee is 25 million, as David Moyes looks to add further depth to his midfield. Lunt's information is coming from El Mira, the local paper in Almeria, which indicates that Lopy is "set to pack his bags and sign for Everton soon."
The 23-year-old defensive midfielder has spent the last two seasons with the Spanish side, playing just over 4800 minutes in those years. He's definitely a more defensive-minded player, although he did score a goal last season, adding three assists for an Almeria side that spent last season in La Liga 2.
Prior to that, the Senegalese was playing at Reims in France, where he played two full seasons, although he was more of a squad player there.
That will likely be his role if he comes to Everton as well, as he's likely to feature as the second option behind Idrissa Gana Gueye, although it is possible that with time, he could work as a double pivot next to his international teammate.
And that last bit is the minor issue that Everton will need to keep in mind as they look to add Lopy to their squad. If he joined, Lopy would likely go off to the African Cup of Nations with Senegal, alongside Everton's Gana and Iliman Ndiaye, putting the Toffees in a bit of a conundrum.
This isn't to say that Everton shouldn't bring in a talented young player simply because of a month he'll be missing for one season upon his arrival, but it will be something they'll need to be aware of as they continue to add to the squad in the coming weeks.