Everton’s failed transfer policy over the last half-decade has been spearheaded by many faces, but above all else stood Farhad Moshiri.
The Iranian billionaire, who made his move to Merseyside in 2016, had promised the world to Evertonians, only to grossly fail in his efforts to wake this sleeping giant.
His fortune was swiftly misspent, and he is now set to leave having put the club in a position of true financial peril.
Even with 777 Partners closing in on a deal to acquire his shares, the fanbase remains apprehensive given how they have been let down in the past.
With Kevin Thelwell having outlined how the takeover and their Financial Fair Play issues have hindered them in the market, little was expected of January.
However, with reports suggesting that a £3m ‘offer’ has been made for Michy Batshuayi, that could be about to change.
After all, the Belgian forward has impressed since moving to Turkey, and this update from journalist Levent Umit Erol marks an intriguing prospect.
Why is Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggling for Everton this season?
It has been another trying campaign for Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front, but for completely different reasons than the last few.
Having been hindered by injuries across previous campaigns, it is now his profligacy that is plaguing his performances, with the finisher having scored just three Premier League goals from an expected goals tally of 6.92.
For comparison, Batshuayi already has eight goals across all competitions for Fenerbahce, thus outscoring the entire Everton squad.
However, it is hard to blame Calvert-Lewin’s struggles solely on the 26-year-old.
After all, the system operated by Sean Dyche effectively renders the striker as a sacrificial role for the betterment of the team, forcing whoever operates in that position to relentlessly press and chase loose balls into the channels in order to help get his side up the pitch.
As such, when he is forced out wide, he cannot therefore also be in the box to score what comes from his hard work.
That is where Batshuayi could come in, to alleviate that burden and share such a workload.
As a mobile marksman with a clear eye for goal, having notched 12 in the Super Lig last term, he too could operate as both a poacher and a pressing monster.
The former is only further supported by journalist Josh Bunting, who has branded him ‘deadly in front of goal’ in the past.
Perhaps the arrival of another striker, capable of perhaps operating alongside Calvert-Lewin, could be the perfect acquisition to unlock the struggling Englishman who once scored 13 and 16 league goals in successive seasons.
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