Everton have opened talks with Valencia over plans to sign Aymen Abdennour.
Interest in the Tunisia international comes just days after the Blues sanctioned John Stones’ £47.5 million sale to Manchester City.
Negotiations between Everton officials and Los Che’s billionaire owner Peter Lim took place in London earlier this week over a potential £15 million move.
Abdennour, 27, has spent just one season in LaLiga but has attracted interest from Goodison Park as efforts to land Sunderland’s Lamine Kone stalled.
An £18 million deal to land the Ivory Coast defender has yet to be accepted by the Black Cats, now headed up by former Toffees boss David Moyes.
Relations between Kone and his current club have become strained following an impasse over a proposed new contract at the Stadium of Light.