Everton are one of the clubs that have been showing an interest in the Lyon winger Malick Fofana this summer.
David Moyes’ squad is now set for the Premier League game on Sunday against Brighton & Hove Albion.
But there is still plenty to do on Merseyside, with Everton expecting three more signings to come through the doors before the deadline.
The 1 September deadline is quickly creeping up on clubs, and it is clear that Everton still have work to do.
Losing to Leeds United on Monday evening highlighted the lack of natural options the Blues have at right-wing.
Malick Fofana is of interest to Everton, but he has proven to be a difficult deal to get over the line.
And it seems other clubs feel the same way, with one club now believed to have pulled out of the race.
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Bayern Munich withdraw from race for Everton target Malick Fofana
In recent days, Fofana has admitted he could leave Lyon before the deadline in just one week’s time.
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The Ligue 1 side find themselves in real financial difficulty, and require the sale of a player in the region of €40m (£34m).
According to Le Progres, Bayern Munich will not be signing Fofana after their latest offer was very quickly rejected.
The German champions offered to sign Fofana on loan, which would not provide Lyon with the financial boost they need.
It is also claimed that Bayern have no intention of paying €40m for the winger this summer. So, they can be considered out of the race.
Fofana wants a Champions League move this summer, but his options are quickly running out.
Everton have shown their interest from very early on, and perhaps he could be encouraged to make a move to the Premier League.
Why Malick Fofana is cautious over Lyon exit
It has to be said, there is some reasoning behind Fofana’s concerns over leaving Lyon this summer.
With it being a World Cup season, Fofana does not want to put his place in the Belgium side at risk through a change of scenery.
He is pleased with the minutes he receives at Lyon, and he wants to maintain that level of involvement.
Arsenal are showing an interest in Fofana, according to reports, despite closing in on the signing of Eberechi Eze.
But whether he would even get a sniff of regular minutes in north London is another question altogether.