LA Galaxy captain Landon Donovan is stalling on a return to Everton for January.
The Daily Mail says Donovan flourished during a 10-game loan spell at Goodison Park two years ago and manager David Moyes hoped Donovan would relish a similar arrangement in the New Year.
But Donovan has not given any signals that he is ready for another challenge after helping LA Galaxy win the MLS Cup. Bringing a striker in, however, is a priority for Moyes, given the concerns over Louis Saha's fitness.