Everton manager David Moyes will end the long wait for a summer signing after striking a deal to bring Denmark international Lars Christian Jacobsen to Goodison Park on a free transfer.
Jacobsen, 28, was with German club Nurnberg last season but is now a free agent and he has agreed a one-year deal, subject to a medical.
Born in Odense, Jacobsen will solve one of Everton's pressing problems in defence, with regular right-back Tony Hibbert still likely to be out for six more weeks with injury.
Jacobsen arrived on Merseyside today, and had his medical at the club's Finch Farm training base.
The deal will be officially confirmed tomorrow when the results of his tests are known and the Dane has tied up the final details of his contract.
Moyes will hope that this is the first of several new signings this week.
He had previously failed to sign a new player this summer and accepted at the weekend that Everton needed quantity as well as quality as the transfer window entered the final week.
Moyes also plans to look at several loan deals before the window closes next Monday, expressing the view that he needs "six or seven" new players.
Tiago has already refused a loan move from Juventus, while winger Albert Riera is holding out for a move to Liverpool despite the Toffees meeting the #12million asking price of Espanyol.
Everton have Tim Cahill, Steven Pienaar and Hibbert still some way short of fitness after injuries, although Victor Anichebe will be back in the fold this week after winning at Olympic silver with Nigeria.
Since last summer Thomas Gravesen, Andrew Johnson, Stefan Wessels, Manuel Fernandes, Anthony Gardner, Lee Carsley, Jamie Jones and Darren Dennehy have all left the Everton pay-roll without being replaced.