Middlesbrough are eyeing a deal that would take midfielder Muhamed Besic to the Riverside on a full time basis.
The Bosnian enforcer signed for the North East outfit in January on a loan that is set to last until the end of the campaign, but Tony Pulis wants the Besic beyond the original agreement.
The 25-year-old has found first team opportunities limited at Everton since his major cruciate injury back in the summer of 2016, managing eight Everton outings since his return.
But in just six appearances for Boro he has became a fan-favourite and a key cog in their engine room.
Besic is contracted to Everton until the summer of 2021 and any fee would need to be north of the £4.5 million the Blues paid Ferencváros in 2014.