Everton have seen a bid for Southampton winger Tyler Dibling rejected.
David Moyes turned his attention to the England under-21 international after missing out on several wide option targets in the summer transfer window.
Francisco Conceicao and Johan Bakayoko joined Juventus and RB Leipzig respectively while a move for Lyon’s Malick Fofana failed to gain momentum.
However the Blues’ offer for Dibling, which stood in the region of £27 million, has been rejected by the Saints despite their Premier League relegation.
The 19-year-old has two years remaining on his current deal with the Championship returnees and is on several top flight clubs’ radars.
Southampton are understood to be holding out for a valuation of £35M while Dibling is said to be open to a potential switch to the blue half of Merseyside.
Moyes has publicly expressed reservations about Everton’s lack of transfer activity with just four additions made to an under-strength squad this summer.
Nine first-team players have departed since the end of last season, leaving the Scot with several positions worryingly light ahead of the new campaign.
Successive defeats to Bournemouth and West Ham on Everton’s pre-season tour of the United Sates have compounded Moyes’ current concerns.