Everton close in on first summer signing

Everton are in talks with Monaco over a season-long loan deal for striker Lacina Traore.

The 6ft 8in forward joined Everton on-loan in January but struggled to fully recover from a hamstring injury.

He made his debut against Swansea in the FA Cup in February - scoring within five minutes - but damaged his hamstring again the following week in the warm-up before the Chelsea game.

Everton monitored his fitness for the rest of the season, with the Ivorian making a second appearance from the bench on the final day of the campaign.

Boss Roberto Martinez is clearly a fan of the former Anzhi striker's talent and it is believed the club are close to confirming another loan deal.

However, local news reports say an announcement is not imminent as was previously suggested on social media, where reports of Traore's sighting in Liverpool quickly spread like wildfire.

Given his lack of game time last season it is hard to really judge Troare's abilities, so a relatively risk-free loan deal is probably the best move all around.

Martinez is still expected to bring in a big-money striker - be it Romelu Lukaku or not - so Troare would likely play the role of back-up alongside Arouna Kone, with the Europa League placing a greater burden on the squad next season.

After a relatively quiet summer so far lets hope this move kicks off a productive close-season that will significantly boost the numbers at Finch Farm before August.