Everton are aiming to hit the ground running in a pivotal transfer window which may require player trading to land their ambitious targets.
Football finance experts believe that new squad cost ratio (SCR) rules mean the Toffees are looking at a net spend of around £50m in the second of a two-summer plan to overhaul their squad and establish themselves as one of the best of the rest in the Premier League.
Insiders acknowledge that target, which would see Everton muscling into the territory of Aston Villa and Newcastle United as a club with aspirations of breaking into the Champions League, will require aggressive work after a quiet January that ultimately caught up on them as the season tailed off alarmingly.
The club’s recruitment set-up sees a transfer committee work alongside manager David Moyes to identify and sign players.
It is a fascinating dynamic as targets are settled on by Moyes – who is keen to sign a sprinkling of oven-ready top flight performers – and a team of data and recruitment experts, overseen by highly-rated technical director Nick Cox.
