Everton are now considering a loan move for Southampton winger Kamaldeen Sulemana, who could be brought in as an alternative to Leeds United's Wilfried Gnonto, according to a report from Sky Sports.
What's the latest Everton transfer news?
Demarai Gray has been heavily linked with a move away from Goodison Park, and journalist Paul Brown believes the Everton boss would let him leave for a suitable fee this summer, saying:
"I don't really think that Sean Dyche is that high on Demarai Gray. If the price is right from any of those clubs showing interest, I think they would let him go.
"It's clear that Everton don't have much of a transfer budget at the moment this summer. They will need to generate cash with sales if Dyche wants to bring in anybody else in areas of the squad that they have a greater need.
"I do still think that if anybody puts down serious money for Demarai Gray this summer, he probably will go."
As such, Sean Dyche may need to think about bringing in new wide options, and Gnonto has emerged as one of his key targets, with it recently being reported the Toffees are leading the race for his signature, in what could be a £20m deal.
According to a recent report from Sky Sports, however, Everton may be growing frustrated in their pursuit of the Italian, and they could give up on their attempts to sign him, after having multiple approaches rejected by Leeds.
The Toffees are now running the rule over other targets, and they are looking at a loan deal for Sulemana, who they attempted to sign from Rennes during the January transfer window, before he opted to move to St. Mary's.
A deal for Gnonto is still not beyond the realms of possibility, however Leeds would need to soften their stance, having consistently knocked back the Merseyside club's advances up to this point.
How good is Kamaldeen Sulemana?
Despite the Saints' relegation from the Premier League, the Ghanaian had a strong end to the 2022/23 campaign, finding the back of the net twice in a man-of-the-match performance against Liverpool on the final day of the season.
They were the only two goals the £40k-per-week winger managed to score in a Southampton shirt, but he now has Premier League experience under his belt, and he could kick on next season if he gets a move back to the top flight.
One of the Techiman-born attacker's best attributes is his dribbling, ranking in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.
Lauded as an "excellent ball carrier" by members of the media, the former Rennes man is too good to be playing in the Championship next season, and if a loan deal is possible, Everton should definitely try and make it happen.
Dyche only has a limited budget to work with this summer, and Sulemana could be a fantastic low-cost alternative to Gnonto, with Leeds seemingly unwilling to let the 19-year-old leave.