Recently by Dominic King

EVERTON could be close to making Sporting Lisbon goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic their first signing of the summer.

The Serbian international's agent Zoran Stojadinovic claimed yesterday that the Blues have made an approach for Stojkovic and only red tape is holding up a one-year loan deal.

Sources at Goodison Park and in Lisbon, however, have suggested that it would be presumptuous to say he is about to become Tim Howard's deputy

SIR Paul McCartney recently pledged his allegiances to Everton FC and, given last Thursday was National Beatles Day, it was no surprise to see that landmark recognised at Finch Farm.

But while Mikel Arteta, Phil Jagielka and Andrew Johnson can all rightly be described as 'Fab', it would take a stretch to describe a the fourth member of the Evertonian wig-wearing quartet in the same way.

Clearly Andy Holden - who, according to sources at Finch Farm, is so old that he failed auditions for the Quarrymen - had cotton wool in his ears when a request was made for volunteers for this photograph. As one unnamed observer put it: "Taffy obviously thought they said Flab Four."

A desperate attempt to recapture his youth? Who knows. But, needless to say, John Paul Kissock was less than impressed when told that the Blues reserve manager had gone for some follicle assistance to copy the young midfielder's carefully styled locks.

FOOTBALL in these parts is for many the be all and end all but while many Blues are wondering which players will be signed and when, it is hoped Joseph Yobo will not be too far from their thoughts at present.

In normal circumstances, Yobo would have been enjoying the final few weeks of his family holiday before returning refreshed for the new campaign but right now it is impossible to say when 'Big Joe' will be back on Merseyside.

He is still waiting to hear news on the plight of his elder brother, Norum, who was kidnapped in Port Harcourt last week. You cannot begin to imagine what emotions the 27-year-old is currently enduring and it goes without saying that he is in the thoughts of everyone at Goodison Park.

THE dust has barely had time to settle on an outstanding first season at Goodison Park but, five weeks after making his England debut, Phil Jagielka is back in the swing of things.

This time last year, Jagielka had only just arrived on Merseyside following a protracted £4m move from Sheffield United and was faced with the task of winning his new team-mates' confidence, not to mention showing that he deserved his place in the squad.

Given that his first month as an Everton player was anything but settled - in the space of three weeks, Jagielka visited St Andrews, Florence, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles with the Blues and moved house - it was no surprise that it took time to find his feet

THERE is nobody better, as the song declares, than Mikel Arteta but that, unfortunately, was not the case last season for the best little Spaniard that Evertonians know.

While there occasional flashes of magic - the exocet that secured parity against Fiorentina and a terrific finish at Derby County being the standout moments - not even Arteta's biggest fan would think of claiming he scaled the heights of during the two previous campaigns.

Tormented by groin and abdominal injuries, he was a pale shadow of the player who had led Everton's charge to Europe and the last time we saw him in a Blue shirt - a scrappy 1-0 win over Derby on April 6 - Arteta angrily gestured at the crowd after a cross had gone askew.

PHIL JAGIELKA today backed Steve Round to play a major role in shaping Everton's fortunes as the new assistant manager prepares to make his debut in the dugout.

While Round may not have been well known to the vast majority of Evertonians, that was not the case among the playing staff and Jagielka was one of a number of players who gave his appointment an immediate thumbs up.

The Blues' central defender worked with Round when he was called up to represent England 'B' in a friendly against Albania in May 2007, so had experience of the former Middlesbrough coach's innovative ideas.

EVERTON are considering a move for Turkey international Mehmet Topal.

The 22-year-old, who plays for Galatasaray, made four appearances for his country during their run to the semi-finals of Euro 2008.

A tall, strong, powerful midfielder, Topal occupies a role just in front of the back four and is the type of player manager David Moyes requires following Lee Carsley's recent move to Birmingham.

EVERTON are eyeing a double swoop for Darren Fletcher and Diego Milito - as Andrew Johnson is poised to end his Goodison Park career.

Wigan and Sunderland have both been in contact with the Blues and are prepared to pay in the region of £10m for the former club record signing, who travelled with the rest of David Moyes' squad to a training camp in Switzerland yesterday.

Though Everton have publicly stated that Johnson is not for sale, privately they are resigned to a parting of the ways and the player's reluctance to uproot his young family, who are settled in the North West, means he is almost certain to move to the JJB Stadium.

MIKEL ARTETA is ready to put his injury nightmare behind him and be fighting fit for the start of the new Premier League season.

Everton's influential Spanish midfielder experienced a dip in his fortunes during the most recent campaign and only featured in fits and starts from February onwards due to the effects of an abdominal problem that eventually required surgery.

However, he returned to Finch Farm last week in positive spirits and though Arteta has stayed on Merseyside while the rest of the squad headed to Switzerland for a training camp yesterday, he is pleased with the progress he is making

LEIGHTON BAINES is ready to hand David Moyes an early pre-season fitness boost by taking his comeback from ankle surgery up another level.

Everton's left-back was operated on days after the most recent campaign ended to rectify a long-standing problem, but there were fears he could be out for as long as four months.

Given that he missed so many games last season due to a number of niggling injuries, that would have been a huge blow for Baines, who cost the Blues £6m when he arrived from Wigan