Everton were, in truth, always outsiders in the race for the talented young centre-forward, and now reports claim he is ready to sign for newly crowned Europa Conference winners Chelsea.
These reports are not definitive and nothing is yet settled, but it does look as though the Toffees' chances of getting their man are receding.
If that is the case, then Everton need to widen their search for a new striker, and one player who has apparently been under scrutiny is German centre-forward Nick Woltemade.
The 6'6" Woltemade has been attracting serious attention from European clubs after enjoying a breakthrough campaign in the Bundesliga with Stuttgart.
Despite his height and the obvious inference that he must be dominant in the air, his main strengths appear to be on the ground.
Woltemade is a player who belies his tall stature and seems very comfortable on the ball (rather like Everton's own Jake O'Brien), as well as being potentially able to play off a more orthodox centre-forward.
Perhaps then he could fill in and replicate the role that Abdoulaye Doucoure often played. He, of course, will be departing the club this summer.
However, if the Blues are serious about a bid for the giant German, they will once more face strong competition for his signature, with Bayern Munich and Premier League rivals Arsenal also interested.
Historically, the Blues have had a tradition of signing tall, powerful centre-forwards to lead the line, such as Bob Latchford in the seventies, Graeme Sharp in the eighties, and more recently Duncan Ferguson and Romelu Lukaku. Both Beto and Dominic Calvert-Lewin also fit that type, of course.
Rumours abound concerning possible strikers Everton might be tracking as the search for improved firepower continues, but so far, nothing concrete has happened.
One big stumbling block in this one would be the fee quoted for Woltemade. At £40 million, that would be a lot of money to pay for an unproven player in Premier League terms. Everton are probably unlikely to pay that much.