Everton to spend Davies cash

Everton are hoping to use the money they received from Simon Davies joining Fulham yesterday - £2.5m, potentially rising to £3m - to fund a bid for Sheffield Wednesday's highly rated Madjid Bougherra.

The Everton manager, David Moyes, was initially aiming to tempt Joey Barton from Manchester City, but that deal now looks dead in the water. He will now turn his attention to 24-year-old Bougherra, for whom Charlton recently had a £1.3m bid turned down.

The Birmingham City manager, Steve Bruce, has also enquired about the Algerian international. But the Wednesday manager, Brian Laws, said: "As it stands, and until such times change, Madjid is [our] player."

David said he was pleased to be back in the capital after completing his move to Fulham. The former Tottenham midfielder has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Chris Coleman's Cottagers after 18 months at Goodison Park.

"I'm really happy to have joined Fulham as Chris is a manager I know and admire very much, and the style of play that he has developed here will suit my game," Davies said. "I've wanted to come back to London for a while now so it's a good move for me, and I'm eager to train hard and contribute as much as I can to the rest of the season's campaign."

Davies, who began his career at Peterborough, joined the Toffees from Spurs for £3.5m in the summer of 2005 and made 53 appearances for the Merseyside club, scoring a solitary goal.

Fulham are also hoping to add the Preston North End goalkeeper Carlo Nash to their ranks - with Antti Niemi still injured - after making an offer that appeals to the player.