If they are to spend big, or at all this summer, Everton will likely have to keep selling.
After all, it is no coincidence that their first acquisition of the window, welcoming in Tim Iroegbunam from Aston Villa, was instantly offset by Lewis Dobbin travelling in the opposite direction for just £1m more.
A deal born to avoid PSR pitfalls, it is this kind of financial trickery which will see Kevin Thelwell lauded by fans who would love nothing more than for the Premier League to be left stunned as the Toffees dance around their dubious statutes.
However, there is one sale that could still be made which would surely put them in the green where the June 30th deadline is concerned.
Then, once they have passed by that date with ease, the start of a new financial year promises so much for the rest of the window.
Neal Maupay could leave Everton this summer
The latest on this proposed departure comes courtesy of GIVEMESPORT, who suggest that Neal Maupay could be the latest to depart Goodison Park.
The Frenchman has endured a torrid time since his 2022 move to Merseyside, failing to hit the heights expected despite his £15m price tag.
He was profligate in front of goal, whilst also lacking the necessary physicality to thrive in both Frank Lampard’s and especially Sean Dyche’s systems.
So, his exit is almost guaranteed, with Brentford one expected suitor after the loan spell he enjoyed last season.
Regardless of where he goes, this report merely states that he will definitely leave, as they write: ‘Everton are now starting to turn their attentions to their frontline for next season, with only Beto and Neal Maupay as their main options up front – though Maupay is expected to leave in the summer and that will leave them with one senior striker alongside youth star Youssef Chermiti, who arrived from Sporting Lisbon last summer.’
Neal Maupay could finally end Everton’s PSR nightmare
It seems that the race to sell some of their dead wood might have just intensified, given the renewed hope that Fabrizio Romano’s update on Everton’s pursuit of Yankuba Minteh has provided.
And in Maupay, there is arguably no better option.
He has no future at this club, and despite likely being a good fit for many other sides, his small stature and lack of hold-up play make him a poor option for a brutish Everton outfit reliant on directness.
During his sole campaign actually with the Toffees, Maupay scored just a single Premier League goal despite accumulating an expected goals tally of 4.80.
Ironically enough, Dominic Calvert-Lewin would then only manage seven strikes from his equally lofty expected goals figure, 12.93, the following term.
Should they find a more clinical striker who also fits their mould, there is no saying how far they could go.
However, the acquisition of such talent is wholly reliant on offloading those who have no future with the club.
Maupay, unfortunately, is one such example.