By John Edwards

Everton are on the verge of landing the new Patrick Vieira after having a ?4.5million bid accepted for Lens' inspirational midfielder Alex Nyarko.

The 26-year-old Ghana international, who can count Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and new Leeds signing Olivier Dacourt among his admirers, is due on Merseyside to open talks with Walter Smith.

Sunderland and Aston Villa have also declared a willingness to match Lens' asking price but Everton are confident of completing a deal in time for Nyarko to join their pre-season trip to Italy next week.

A tall, aggressive central midfielder whose eye for a telling through ball can be as destructive as his tackling, Nyarko comes highly recommended.

Wenger has been on his trail for months and admitted to Everton officials that he might have signed him by now but for Vieira finally committing his long-term future to Highbury.

Former Goodison favourite Dacourt added his own personal endorsement by telling his old club: 'If you get the chance to sign him, do. He is a better player than me.'

Despite already recruiting full backs Steve Watson and Alessandro Pistone for a combined ?6m, Smith's spending will not end with the expected arrival of Nyarko.

The Everton manager is closing in on two more midfield players - one of them Sheffield Wednesday's Niclas Alexandersson, as revealed in Soccernet - and a striker to act as cover for injured marksman Kevin Campbell.

Villa and Bradford have also made approaches for Alexandersson but the Swedish winger has indicated a preference for Everton and looks certain to join them for about ?1.5m in the next few days.

Smith has received the same positive feedback from Neil Lennon but is unlikely to pursue a ?6m move for the Leicester midfielder if personal terms are agreed with Nyarko.

That would leave the way clear for Middlesbrough and Celtic to compete for Lennon's signature.

Everton will recoup some of their outlay by pressing ahead with the sale of Don Hutchison, John Collins and Nick Barmby, who have all been omitted from the club's training camp in Italy.

Hutchison has made a second trip to Charlton for talks after the Good-ison Park club accepted a ?2.5m bid, while Fulham yesterday increased their offer for Collins to ?1.75m.

Everton rejected it but are ready to relent if Fulham consent to a compromise figure of about ?2m.

Everton are also set to sell reserve goalkeepers Steve Simonsen, wanted by Leicester as cover for Tim Flowers, and Thomas Myhre, a ?2m target for Hamburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Real Sociedad.