Everton’s defensive frailties were somewhat cured over the summer, with Frank Lampard forced into adding James Tarkowski and Conor Coady to the squad in an attempt to gain some consistency at the back.

The likes of Michael Keane, Mason Holgate and Yerry Mina had all been injured or underperformed at some point in their Toffees career, letting down various managers in the process.

That nearly culminated in relegation last season, which Lampard will be desperate to avoid.

To do that, he will likely need to now bolster his attacking options.

However, due to the notorious financial issues that still plague the club, he might need to ditch a few of the big earners first.

Given how central defence is all but locked down now at Goodison Park, it makes perfect sense to ditch injury liability Mina in favour of a cheaper replacement.

Since signing in 2018 on a £27.2m deal, the Columbian has only mustered 93 appearances for the club.

This is due to his sprawling injury record, and despite being widely recognised as one of the best defenders at the club when fit, his unreliability has made him useless.

Pundit and ex-pro Noel Whelan even claimed that "On his day, he can be a fantastic defender. On most days, he looks average.”

To suffer this whilst on £120k-per-week is a damning indictment of Everton’s poor transfer policy, and one they will look to avoid should the report linking them to Pape Abou Cisse be true.

With the agent of the hulking Senegal international suggesting he is ready to move from Olympiacos, it could spark Lampard into action following his pursuit throughout the summer.

The 6 foot 6 titan has featured 145 times for the Greek club and has scored an impressive 16 times during that period.

This has culminated in his 7.67 average rating this season, where he records an 89% pass accuracy alongside 3.0 clearances per game (via Sofascore).

His blistering form dwarfs the rating of any of Mina’s seasons at Everton, including his 7.07 from the 2020/21 campaign.

To sign him from the Greek league should hopefully offer a cut price, especially considering how his current contract expires at the end of next season. Therefore, this could prove a fine opportunity to save huge amounts of money and secure an upgrade too.