Midfield reinforcements have been on the agenda for Everton boss Sean Dyche ever since the departure of Amadou Onana to Aston Villa.
Onana's sale left the Toffees with a shortage of experienced central midfielders with only Idrissa Gueye, Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Garner in the squad having played regular Premier League football.
Gueye though is 34, Doucoure 31 and Garner is currently injured, leaving the Blues rather short of options in the engine room going into the new campaign.
Everton did sign a new midfielder last month as Tim Iroegbunam had arrived earlier in the window, from the same club Onana left for.
The club also have youngster Harrison Armstrong, but let another youth team product Tyler Onyango leave on loan.
Iroegbunam certainly has talent and promise but he was perhaps considered a longer-term option to make an impression in the top flight.
However, his performances since joining the Blues have been excellent and belied his youth and inexperience.
So far, he has looked every bit a Premier League player and that is a real positive for Sean Dyche after what has been a very poor start to the season.
Despite this though, it does make some sense if Dyche can find an affordable midfielder to boost numbers - although I think other areas of the team are more urgent priorities - particularly up front and at right-back.
Kalvin Phillips was considered an option to strengthen that midfield but he has since joined Ipswich Town instead.
Today the Toffees are being linked with a late move for former Nottingham Forest player Orel Mangala who is currently in France with Lyon after leaving Forest last year.
Lyon of course are owned by John Textor, the latest American to try his luck buying the Blues and has entered exclusivity with Farhad Moshiri to do so.
Mangala would be a loan signing if he was to make the return trip across the channel and come back to English football.
Like Onana, Mangala is a Belgian international and while he is perhaps not the ball-winning midfielder the Everton manager is ideally looking for, he is decent in possession and offers plenty of Premier League experience, which Dyche is keen on.
Whether Mangala does join the Blues is an open question and we will wait and see of course.
Although it is not likely the Toffees will be very active on Friday's deadline day, it does seem increasingly possible we may see one or two loan deals done.