Everton have moved ahead in the race to sign the highly touted Getafe defender Djene Dakonam.

The Toffees are keen to bolster their defensive options after the loan spell of Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma has ended, and the future of Yerry Mina remains unclear.

Everton are now focused on Djene, following a superb season as Getafe finished fifth in La Liga and narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification, says the Daily Mail.

The 27-year-old is understood to be valued around £30million, and Everton are in place to use their financial flexibility to manoeuvre rivals Arsenal out of a deal.

The Gunners find themselves in an uncertain situation, with their transfer budget for the summer set to be a paltry £45m.

Unai Emery must, therefore, invest wisely and is becoming concerned with the rising cost of Djene.