Republic of Ireland and Sunderland midfielder Kevin Kilbane is a target for Everton. The Mersysiders hope to lure Kilbane to Goodison Park this week in a deal which is likely to cost around £1.5 million.
Manager David Moyes, who has failed to sign any new players this summer, apart from making the loan deal for Nigerian defender Joseph Yobo permanent, sees the wide man as an ideal experienced international to add to the squad as Mick McCarthy looks to reduce the wage bill at Sunderland. Everton have also been linked to Birmingham's Robbie Savage.
Kilbane's international team-mate Damien Duff's new Chelsea team were crowned the Premier League Asia Cup champions in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, beating Newcastle in a penalty shoot-out, despite a miss from Duff, after the teams finished at 0-0.
With Chelsea leading 5-4, Newcastle's Jermaine Jenas missed the crucial spot-kick to hand the prize to Roman Abramovich's club. Jenas tried to chip Carlo Cudicini, but his effort floated over.
An apoplectic looking Bobby Robson later said: "It was an outrageous way to take a penalty."
The two sides had fought out an exciting, but goalless, 90 minutes in which Chelsea appeared the most dangerous. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen linked cleverly but Newcastle and Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given was in top form, keeping the blue tide at bay.
Birmingham finished third in the event after beating the Malaysian national team 4-0 on Saturday.
Moye's and England were also dealt a blow last night when Wayne Rooney was ruled out for up to a month with badly damaged ankle ligaments.
The 17-year-old sustained the injury in an apparently innocuous challenge with the Rangers defender Bob Malcolm 36 minutes into Saturday's 3-2 win at Ibrox. Rooney will now miss the start of the Premiership season as well as England's friendly against Croatia at Ipswich on August 20th.
"Wayne visited a consultant who reviewed X-rays and MRI scans and confirmed the diagnosis as damaged ankle ligaments," said Everton's head physio Mick Rathbone. "He will return to see the specialist in 12 days' time to review the injury, but we anticipate that he will be out for around four weeks."
Rooney crumpled to the turf after his tussle with Malcolm and, clutching his right ankle and clearly in distress, was taken off on a stretcher.
The striker left his team-mates and travelled back to Merseyside on Saturday evening to undergo an X-ray amid initial fears that he might have broken a metatarsal.
The results of those tests confirmed there was no fracture, though an MRI scan revealed the extent of the ankle ligament damage.
"This is what happens with young boys," said Moyes, forever aware that Rooney has only one season of senior football behind him for all the startling progress he has made. "We always knew this sort of thing could be around the corner.
"Everybody knows Wayne is a tough boy and doesn't go down for much. The pitches are generally a bit sticky at this time of the year. It's nothing to do with the ankle problems he's suffered from before."
The loss comes as a major blow for Everton. Moyes, who remains in Scotland with his squad - they play Dundee United on Wednesday - has been so far unable to add to his squad this summer, with Rooney's participation seen as vital if the Merseysiders are to maintain the momentum gathered as they finished seventh last season.
The spell on the sidelines will give Rooney much-needed time to work on his overall fitness - Moyes conceded that the striker was "not yet mentally and physically fit for the campaign" - though his lack of match fitness is likely to hamper his impact well beyond their Premiership opener at Arsenal on August 16th.
Similarly, Sven-Goran Eriksson will be dismayed given that England's vital final Euro 2004 qualifiers are looming.
The friendly against Croatia is a warm-up for the trip to Macedonia on September 6th - with Liechtenstein due at Old Trafford four days later - and the suspicion remains that Rooney could still be ring rusty by the time those games come around.
In the meantime the teenager will continue his rehabilitation at the club's Bellefield training ground.
Everton's Ghanaian international midfielder Alex Nyarko, who has spent the last two years on loan in France after being confronted by a disgruntled Everton supporter during a 4-1 defeat at Highbury in 2001, has travelled to China to find a new club.
"Alex has permission to speak to a couple of clubs in China," confirmed an Everton spokesman, with both interested parties expected to offer the 29-year-old a long-term loan deal.
