Everton have been linked with a number of players around the world in recent months, but some of the most recent rumours are starting to get unrealistic.
Since Carlo Ancelotti took the reins at Everton and began turning the club’s fortunes around on the pitch, the club has seen the stature of rumoured transfer targets increase somewhat.
Gone are the days where Tom Cleverley or Arouna Kone were the type of players the club could bring in, with Andre Gomes, Moise Kean and Bernard all of a higher calibre, even before the veteran Italian took charge.
However, while players are viewing Everton in a more positive light in recent years, with promising players from Serie A in particular being linked, some players that are now being rumoured are becoming unrealistic.
James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale are two recent names that have emerged in the media as being targets for the Toffees, with both players out of favour with Spanish giants Real Madrid.
These players, who have played at the very pinnacle of European football in their careers, are more likely to attract clubs with the buying power on par with the likes of Manchester United or Arsenal, even if it is a nice morale boost for fans of the blue half of Merseyside.
Having ambition is a great thing for a football club and its fans, but at some point, the media can elevate expectations to a point where it just doesn’t seem logical.
The latest players that are now being linked with moves to Goodison Park includes Aston Villa star man Jack Grealish, who is attracting the interest of United, as well as former Liverpool superstar Philippe Coutinho, who has struggled since leaving Anfield.
Grealish is unlikely to join a club such as Everton, unless clubs further up the league table and with larger bank accounts do not show much interest in him.
He seems destined to leave Villa Park this summer, but will more than likely link up with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the red half of Manchester, a move that has been rumoured for a couple of years now.
While having Ancelotti at the helm could be quite persuasive for a number of players, seeing Coutinho pull on the blue shirt of Everton, the bitter rivals of his former club Liverpool, doesn’t make sense.
While struggling to solidify his position with Barcelona, Coutinho has had a decent loan spell with Bayern Munich.
He will be determined to prove that he can still play at the top level of football and, while Everton look to be a much stronger team in the Premier League under Ancelotti, it seems farfetched that he would ever consider playing for Liverpool’s rivals.
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It is a positive sign that Everton are linked with players of a higher calibre, having unrealistic expectations can cause problems behind the scenes as well as within the fanbase.
Ancelotti has gotten a lot out of the players already at his disposal, but will need to add a few new faces in the summer to truly mould a team in his image.
However, the club may be better served bringing in a handful of solid additions rather than one star player. Even if these unrealistic targets have some truth to them, it may not even be in the best interests of the club long-term.
What do you think Everton fans? How unrealistic do you feel these transfer rumours are getting? Who do you think the club could actually have a chance of bringing in this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!