Signing a striker remains top priority for Martinez

Roberto Martinez told Everton's website that signing a striker before the close of the transfer window remains his top priority. This isn't a shock of course, but Martinez did clarify that a potential deal for Romelu Lukaku is not close to being done.

Here's some of what he had to say in an interview with the team's official site.

"There have been a lot of reports, some even saying I've told people it [a deal for Lukaku] is done, but the situation is very clear."

"We need a number nine going into the start of the season and we will make sure we sign one."

"Rom created incredible memories we'll never forget and enjoyed his time at Everton - but that doesn't mean anything between now and the end of the window."

Essentially he's confirming what we already knew, or at least speculated about.

The team is trying to bring Lukaku to Goodison on a permanent basis, but it's likely a difficult negotiation. Therefore, we can assume that Martinez has a plan B, probably a plan C, and hopefully a plan D.

There's also a good chance this entire process will go down to the wire.

Fortunately, Martinez is acknowledging what he's working on, which should calm fans just a bit.

Maybe.