Everton target Monaco’s Lacina Traore

Liverpool: Everton are awaiting results from Lacina Traore’s medical before deciding whether to finalise a loan deal for the Monaco striker for the remainder of the season.

The 6ft 8in Ivory Coast international has emerged as a transfer target for Roberto Martinez following the £6.5 million (Dh39.19 million) sale of Nikica Jelavic to Hull City, but is currently nursing a hamstring problem that stalled a proposed move to West Ham United.

Sam Allardyce conceded that West Ham were “unlikely” to complete the Traore transfer after the player received a rival offer from Everton. But the Merseyside club, who can go fourth with victory at West Bromwich Albion on Monday, want confirmation on the extent of the 23-year-old’s injury before making him their fourth loan signing of the season. Everton will apply for a work permit for Traore on Tuesday should he be sidelined for only a few weeks.

Martinez has already made one permanent signing in this transfer window, Aiden McGeady from Spartak Moscow, and the Republic of Ireland winger is in the squad for the Albion game despite not playing a competitive fixture since November 27. The Everton manager has said McGeady’s arrival will allow him to play Kevin Mirallas in a central role over the final months of the season and claimed the former Celtic player can have a major influence on the team’s prospects of qualifying for the Champions League.

McGeady said: “There is pressure in every game you play. Since I was 17, 18 I have always had that pressure from when I was at Celtic. You have pressure to create something when you have the ball and if you lose the ball you have 60,000 fans getting on your back. Pressure is everywhere for everyone, not just on myself but the manager and every player. I think I can handle the pressure. That’s a big statement the manager has said but it shows he has a lot of faith in me.”

Monday’s game was Pepe Mel’s first as Albion’s manager and his fellow Spaniard admits the arrival of the former Real Betis coach will be his main concern at The Hawthorns.