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Everton close in on Leandro Rodriguez from Club Atletico River Plate

LIVERPOOL -- Uruguayan striker Leandro Rodriguez is on course to becoming an Everton player, manager Roberto Martinez says.

Martinez is looking to complete a deal to bring the Rodriguez, 22, to Goodison Park from Montevideo-based Club Atletico River Plate.

The Everton boss is also optimistic that the club will complete the signing of centre-back Ramiro Funes Mori from the Argentine club River Plate.

Argentina international Mori, 24, watched Everton lose 2-0 at home to Manchester City, and Martinez is hopeful to get confirmation of a work permit, which he believes will be approved shortly.

As the manager seeks to add to his squad, he believes that striker Rodriguez has the talent to be a success at Everton.

Martinez said: "Leandro Rodriguez is a very talented young man. When we go from window to window, we always keep an eye on that potential, on the young player who could reach really good heights with us in the first team.

"I can speak about Leandro, because we've got the permission of his club, River Plate Montevideo, in Uruguay.

"At the moment, there's nothing to announce, but he would fit into that outstanding young talent bracket, in the same way as Mason Holgate, who we signed from Barnsley."

On Mori, Martinez added: "We've got a very good relationship with River Plate and we hope we can get Ramiro as an Everton player over the next few hours."

However, the manager was coy on reports that Everton have pulled out of a deal to sign playmaker Andriy Yarmolenko from Dynamo Kiev.

Martinez said: "I can't get into any sort of details or speculation over players leaving and arriving. I'm trying to give you as much clarity as I can in terms of names we have permission to speak about, and who we are dealing with. But anything else is nothing we can comment on."

Martinez, though, has confirmed that Bryan Oviedo will make his first competitive start since February when Everton visit Barnsley in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday.

Oviedo broke a bone in his foot earlier this year but appeared as a substitute on the opening day of the Premier League season as Everton drew 2-2 at home to Watford.

The Costa Rica international has had a difficult time with injuries over the last two years, missing the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after breaking his leg in January that year.

He will play at left-back against Barnsley because Brendan Galloway has a knee injury that could force him to pull out of the England under-21 squad for the matches against United States and Norway in September.

Martinez said: "Bryan has been very unfortunate over the last year or so. He's been working really well in preseason. He was fantastic in training yesterday. We're all very excited about seeing Bryan back.

"You just feel that sometimes as a football you need to hit rock bottom in order to look up again. He's refreshed and desperate to be on the pitch."