Reality check:

• We have an attractive youth setup forming under the guidance of Walsh and buying young players. The goal is to not having to rely so heavy on the transfer market as a buyer but as a seller while we push high potentials through into becoming PL material.

• We have no European competition to play for, which equals: no access to the biggest platforms to showcase talent. You have heard of Vlasic because he’s been good in the CL for CSKA but you (=non PL-folks) most likely have not heard of Matt Doherty who’s probably been the second or third best LB this season.

• Our model is unproven at Everton. We have not yet shown that our model works here. Besides vision, we have nothing here. You don’t go to Everton because we’re successful or having shown we’re on the right track...

• ... we still got the PL as the most competitive league in the world as well as a fuck ton of money to throw at players.

• not being based in London is not so attractive for a lot of players as West Ham or Watford.

Which ultimately means:

• if we are prepared to throw unreal sums of money around, we might be able to get players who’d normally not come here. Question is: do we want those when all it takes to lure them away is a better offer?

• we will not be able to get players in that are also chased by clubs with European football, more attractive cities. No reason to come here really.

• our market will be: good players that do not fit the systems they currently are in, players under the radar, players seeking a sustainable step up, players seeking a sustainable step down.

Which brings me to my list of favourite targets we will not be able to lure:

• Frankfurt players. Will most likely play CL where they are and multiply their exposure and value. No need to make a step down. Their EL run has already given them a good platform to be noticed by the big fish. Next season will be even better. Forget about Rebic and Haller. Not happening.

• RBL players. Why forfeit a spot in Europe’s most ambitious football project for another project that has not delivered yet? CL. Development. Exposure. They have us beat. We could go the money route but RB have shown to not care about offers that don’t match their valuations. They can afford to.

What to do?

Imo we’d need a solution for now. DCL is a mid term bet already and what we’d need is a striker who’s going to bomb us into Europe and might move on in 2 years for DCL or someone else to fill his shoes. That means either a reject who’s warming the bench for a bigger club in search for minutes or someone who wants to make a step up and is still better than DCL. Options:

• Mitrovic.
  
• Gabriel Jesus is still rumoured to be unsatisfied with his minutes. Untealistic unless money talks. A lot of it.
  
• Lukaku maybe if United really want to rebuild with the willing and Lukaku isn’t one of them.
  
• Giroud. Probably unrealistic because of Chelsea’s transfer ban.
  
• Mariano Diaz
  
• Diego Costa in case we want to put up with him. He’s just not on the elite tier any more but good enough go terrorize defences of most clubs
  
• Joelinton.
  
• Lyon-Dembele. Unrealistic though.
  
• Depay IF he’s realizing that he is a big player club with illusions of grandeur holding him back. We could offer him a platform to prove himself. Lyon is good for him and they have the platform but we could ease him back into the PL and enhance his salary until we sell him for profit.
  

There is a ton of others but if we really do manage to get someone like Haller or another one of the hyped boys, we should all be lining up to suck Brands testicles for the unreal job he’s doing.