Everton are yet to announce their first incoming signing of the transfer window, but this is still expected to be a busy few weeks for the club.
Already the Blues have made their move for James Tarkowski, who has come to the end of his contract with Burnley and is set to become a free agent at the end of the month. It's understood the defender has agreed a switch to Goodison Park, with terms already in place, but a tense relationship between the relegated side and Everton is holding up the announcement as things stand.
However, once the centre-back is through the door, you'd expect that the club will quickly move onto other targets. Frank Lampard and Kevin Thelwell will be well aware that numerous positions need an injection of quality over the coming weeks.
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But, would the pair be tempted to potentially search through the sides relegated from the Premier League last season to see if they can add a bit more quality to their own ranks? We've listed five players that could potentially be on the radar in the coming weeks if the Blues did opt to go down this route, although it's not a given of course.
Maxwel Cornet
One of the more obvious names that jumps out is that of Maxwel Cornet. The winger was clearly one of Burnley's best players last season, and much of their late season hopes seemed to rest on his shoulders.
He scored nine goals in 26 appearances across an impressive debut campaign in the Premier League, showing that he has the capabilities to cause defences in this top division a number of issues. Everton are lacking consistent goals in the wide areas, and perhaps the Ivory Coast international could go some way to solving that issue.
Another important string to his bow is that the 25-year-old is versatile. He's played through the centre for Burnley, on the left flank and has lined up as a wing-back and even a left full-back for one match.
Reports suggest that Cornet has a release clause in his contract now that the Clarets have been relegated to the Championship, with rumours of a £17.5m fee being hinted at. That does seem a hefty fee considering Everton's finances, but perhaps one worth exploring depending on the futures of others at the club.
Dwight McNeil
Sticking with Burnley, there's of course the potential that interest could be rekindled in bringing Dwight McNeil to the club. He was high on the list of targets last summer, but nothing eventually materialised between the two sides to bring the winger to Goodison Park.
At just 22, he still has quite a lot of room to go you would feel - despite being pretty experienced at a Premier League level already. He's been an intriguing talent for a number of years, with Manchester United being linked with a move in the past.
However, it's hard to ignore that he did not have a good campaign last year. He appeared in every one of Burnley's Premier League games across 2021/22, but didn't score a goal and registered just one assist.
Again, Everton would have to see if the price is right to pursue a move, and undoubtedly any potential fee would be lower than what they had previously been quoted. That was under a different regime, however, so it would be interesting to see if the interest still lingers despite that.
Emmanuel Dennis
One of the names that has been linked with Everton more recently has been that of Emmanuel Dennis. It's not hard to see why - as first campaigns in the Premier League go, his was very impressive.
In 33 matches in the top division the forward managed to bag ten goals and create six more. Considering Watford only managed to score 34 goals last season, Dennis was involved in almost half of them - and he is versatile enough to play right across the front three.
The 24-year-old clearly has potential in the Premier League and has already been linked with the exit door at Watford. Recent reports have suggested Everton could look his way if Richarlison were to leave the club over the course of the summer.
Again a rumoured £20m price tag might seem a little steep, especially given he has only had one season of English top division football. But, there's no doubting that there's certainly a talent there - and if Everton are looking for both goals and creativity from the flanks they could probably do a lot worse.
Ismaila Sarr
Sticking with Watford, one of the names that has consistently been linked with a move away from the club over the last few years has been Ismaila Sarr. He's reportedly interested a lot of clubs in the past, but is still plying his trade with the Hornets for now.
However, after another relegation to the Championship, it does seem more likely that the 24-year-old might call time on his stint at Vicarage Road at this point. He bagged five goals and two assists from his 22 Premier League appearances last season and he's capable of playing across the front three, although the right flank is seemingly his preferred position.
There's clearly a lot of strengths to Sarr's game and his age means that he still has room to grow as an extremely talented player. Again though, could the potential price be a factor here?
It's unlikely Everton would be the only side interested if the forward did decide to move on, and they can't really afford to be involved in a potential bidding war.
Max Aarons
Looking away from the forwards and towards the last of the relegated sides brings us to Norwich City defender Max Aarons. He's been linked with a move to Everton in the past, but he's also reportedly attracted the interest of a lot of sides from around Europe.
Right-back might not necessarily be high on the list of priority for the Blues right now, with Nathan Patterson and Seamus Coleman both able to take up that role. But, depending on the system Lampard wants to use next season, he could want more competition in that position with Jonjoe Kenny confirming his departure.
Aarons is an impressive prospect at just 22 and has significant experience at Premier League level, which could be crucial. He bagged two assists last term as Norwich battled against the drop, and it again seems likely that he will be moving on for a new challenge in the summer.
However, can Everton afford to spend what would likely be a hefty fee on a position that perhaps isn't a priority? Circumstances might change across the summer, but it would seem unlikely at this stage.
