SUMMER DROUGHT NOT A PROBLEM FOR NIK; NIK GOALS WILL FLOW.

Byline: GREG O'KEEFFE

NIKICA Jelavic's lack of goals in pre-season won't affect his confidence in the slightest, insists Steve Round.

The usually prolific striker failed to find the net during the Blues' warm-up games, after setting Goodison alight with 11 goals in the second part of last season since signing in January.

Everton are currently in advanced talks with Greek club Olympiakos over a deal for another forward to play alongside Jelavic, Belgian hit-man Kevin Mirallas, but Round believes the Croatian will be back to his best in time for the new Premier League campaign.

He said: "He's pretty carefree. I'd be more worried if he wasn't working hard and creating opportunities for himself. His work ethic for the team is fantastic. It'll simply be a matter of time before he scores I've got no doubt about that - maybe he's saving them up for the next few weeks when it matters.

"He is a big stage player and you see with some of his movement and the way he attacks defenders he will get in and score goals. He has scored throughout his career - it's not an issue he hasn't scored in pre-season."

The Toffees hope to make progress with heir pounds 5.3m bid to sign Mirallas, 24, today, when he will be available for talks following international duty with Belgium who beat Holland 4-2 last night. David Moyes flew to Brussels to watch the game with Mirallas' agent, and hopes to push through a deal for the striker in the next 24 hours, subject to agreeing terms and a medical. If a deal is finalised and he was to be an instant hit like Jelavic, Moyes' side may yet flourish from the start of the 2012/13 season."ound believes the former Rangers man's header during the 4-4 draw with Manchester United, who the Blues face on Monday, was the best aerial goal of last season."I've not seen a better header than that in ages - not all last season." it was a terrific goal. "He can do that - he can score a range of goals which is what makes him so potent. Nikica can be played through and score, score from shots, free-kicks, headers. He's got it all." Jelavic's goals helped Everton to a seventh-placed finish last term, which in previous seasons would have been enough to see them qualify for Europe, and Round insists that is the aim again this time around. He said: "It's always the goal for Everton.We should be playing in European football - the size of the club, the fanbase. "Even in Malaga the fans were terrific. Wherever we go in Europe they're always the same and we want to give these fans that more often. It's our incentive this year to try and qualify for Europe, as ever." Meanwhile, pounds 5m-rated Caen striker M'Baye Niang, 17, impressed on his first day of a trial period at Finch Farm yesterday.

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