It might have taken a little longer than some might have expected, but Everton have now confirmed their second arrival of the summer transfer window.
For a while it seemed as if James Tarkowski might be the only arrival at Goodison Park before the Premier League campaign kicks off against Chelsea on August 6th, after he joined the club at the beginning of July following the expiry of his Burnley contract. However, on Wednesday, the Blues announced that Ruben Vinagre had joined on loan from Sporting CP.
It's a deal that came a little out of nowhere, with the only real suggestions first coming a couple of days ago from the Portuguese media. And, perhaps to some supporters, it's a little underwhelming as a move.
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And granted, it's not the exciting Richarlison replacement that many might have expected - or the commanding defensive midfielder that many might have hoped for. But, it won't have detracted from the pursuit of either of those positions in the squad.
A question that arose among some sections of social media when news broke of of Vinagre's upcoming arrival centred around why Everton were pursuing a left-back. Vitalii Mykolenko has been impressive in that position, surely the club should be prioritising moves elsewhere, right?
Well, that's not strictly how the transfer window works. Of course there are exceptions, but generally you don't necessarily see clubs sign their players in order of priority.
Just to be clear, this doesn't take away from the disappointment many feel that Everton have not addressed their other gaping holes in the squad before now. Those fears of not having another forward or No.6 are completely legitimate heading into the new season.
Farhad Moshiri recently remarked that the club should be judged at the end of the transfer window, which on the face of things is more than reasonable. But, there are five Premier League matches before transfer deadline day, and 15 potentially crucial points on the line from now until then.
If Everton had their Richarlison replacement or a defensive midfielder involved in the squad a little earlier this summer, then they would be better prepared for those games. That's a fact, but unfortunately the constraints that so often plague a transfer window have hit the club fairly hard in these early stages.
There's a tight budget that needs to be worked with and some shrewd business needs to take place. However, with money pretty tight at a lot of clubs as the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic continues, it's fair to say that many aren't willing to bend to the whim of the Blues right now for players they know will hold more value.
But, the pursuit of someone such as Vinagre more than likely has not affected the desire for those much-needed transfers elsewhere on the pitch.
Everton's recruitment team won't have been going one-at-a-time throughout pitch, and won't have prioritised another left-back over another important area of the squad. In fact, they' will have been working on deals for multiple positions at the same time, and it just so happens this was a more simple negotiation than all the rest.
Because, as frustrating as it might be from the outside looking in, there is a lot of hard work going on behind-the-scenes on those key transfer needs. Concrete news might be scarce as things stand, but that doesn't mean targets aren't meticulously being chased by those in charge.
Frank Lampard said earlier this month : "[Kevin Thelwell] must hate me - I'm on the phone to him all the time! I have a great relationship with him. We're actively trying to push things forward."
Vinagre is a player that the director of football knows well from their respective spells at Wolverhampton Wanderers, and clearly a player that the club believe will improve options in the squad.
Strength-in-depth is something Everton have struggled with for some time, especially at left-back with Jonjoe Kenny and Ben Godfrey often stepping into that role throughout last term. Vinagre has Premier League experience, is still relatively young at 23 years old, and seems a very low-risk option to fill a gap in the squad.
Considering he was reportedly not part of Sporting CP's plans for the current season, it makes sense that this loan might have moved a bit quicker than other deals Everton are working on. Potential transfers that include up front fees, staggered deals and much more down the line will no doubt be tricky negotiations - and the club's limited budget has to be taken into account.
That factors into the equation much less for a loan, and perhaps accelerated this move above some others that the club's hierarchy are working on. Some transfers happen quicker than others, and it seems Everton might have to wait a little longer for their high-profile moves.
But this is a potentially shrewd transfer. Low risk and with little money spent - that's surely the strategy for the way forward.
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