Everton are aiming to make a statement of intent in their pursuit of Juan Mata.
The Spain international spent a season under Ronald Koeman at Valencia, during which he won the Copa del Rey, and could be in line for a reunion at the Blues.
Mata is set to be deemed surplus to requirement at Manchester United following Jose Mourinho’s appointment as Louis van Gaal’s successor earlier this summer.
And Everton officials hope that the 28-year-old can be swayed towards a move to Goodison Park as the two clubs attempt to thrash out a deal in the region of £20 million.
Relations between Mata and Mourinho have been notoriously fraught; a fact typified by the Portuguese’s sale of the playmaker to Old Trafford over two years ago.
And his position is set to be further undermined by the imminent arrival of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with the Borussia Dortmund playmaker on the verge of a £26 million switch.
Mata previously documented his long-standing admiration of man who handed him a first taste of La Liga action before he faced off against Koeman’s Southampton in 2014.
“It’s going to be a special reunion, since Ronald Koeman was my manager in Valencia when I won my first title as a professional footballer: the Copa del Rey,” he said at the time.
“He was very important in my career because he gave me confidence and I played regularly, which is what every young player needs in his early years.