David Moyes has identified Jô, the out-of-favour Manchester City forward, as a solution to Everton's shortage of attackers. Jô has made a negligible impact since joining City from CSKA Moscow for a projected £19million fee in July, but Moyes, the Everton manager, is interested in signing him on loan next month after losing Yakubu Ayegbeni and Louis Saha to injury.

Moyes has already acknowledged that, due to the club's financial position, he is unlikely to have much money to strengthen his squad during the January transfer window, so a loan move for Jô is likely to appeal. Mark Hughes, the City manager, appears to have little confidence in the Brazil forward's ability to adapt to the demands of English football, but a loan move would offer Jô the chance to gain experience or, if he does not have a long-term future at City, to increase his resale value.

The deal to sign Jô, arranged mainly by representatives of Thaksin Shinawatra, the former City owner, was already close to being finalised when Hughes took charge of the team in June. The 21-year-old, a prolific goal-scorer in Russia, showed encouraging signs in the first few weeks of this season, but has scored only three goals, of which two were against Omonia Nicosia in the Uefa Cup, and he has appeared for only 14 minutes in the Barclays Premier League since October 20.

Ched Evans and Daniel Sturridge, two teenagers, have often been summoned from the bench in preference in recent weeks and, with Hughes eager to sign Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn Rovers next month, Jô's prospects at City appear bleak.

With Yakubu in danger of missing the remainder of the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon and Saha out for several weeks with a hamstring injury, Jô is one of a few options being considered by Moyes. He is pondering a short-term loan deal for Henrik

Larsson, the Sweden forward at Helsingborgs, while Kléber, the Brazilian striker who is on loan from Dynamo Kiev to Palmeiras, is another possibility.