Meanwhile reports suggest Everton have signed a pre-contract agreement with Slovakian goal keeper Jan Mucha for him to join in the summer. The 26-year-old plays for Legia Warsaw and has 18 caps for the Slovakian national side.

Meanwhile, Marouane Fellaini has urged his team-mates to keep their focus as they head into Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round clash with Birmingham at Goodison.

Alex McLeish’s newly-promoted side have turned heads with an impressive run of results that has seen them camped in the top half of the Premier League for much of the campaign.

With last month’s 1-1 draw with Birmingham fresh in the mind, the two sides will be familiar with each other but Fellaini is hoping the experience of reaching last year’s final will stand Everton in good stead.

“The FA Cup is not the same as the Premier League. Anything can happen,” said the Belgium international.

“What we have to do is be motivated and stay focused.

“I really hope we can do what we did last year in the FA Cup.

“Everybody is hoping to have the same result but we have to take it one game at a time starting with Saturday’s match.”