Reports are indicating that Everton midfield target Douglas Luiz is, in fact, set to return to England, but that the Blues are not his intended target.
Instead, Nottingham Forest are seemingly ahead in the race for the former Aston Villa man, with his agent, Kia Joorabchian, heading to Nottinghamshire to help seal the move for his client. If that name sounds familiar to Everton supporters, Joorabchian was often considered a close friend to former owner Farhad Moshiri and was blamed for some of the worst deals in recent history for the club.
And so it appears that Farhad's buddy is once again involved in Everton transfer moves, this time enabling another squad to make a move that the Merseyside club have been eyeing for most of the summer.
Kaustubh Pandey of Sports Witness is reporting that the deal will resemble the one that Everton were interested in, with Luiz returning to the Premier League on an "initial loan with the obligation to buy under certain conditions" from Juventus.
This move mostly just outlines the issues with Everton not being more aggressive in the transfer window. Yes, Forest has European football to dangle in front of perspective transfers, but they also appear willing to spend what needs to be spent in order to bring in the targets they want.
While there have been rumors of a massive spending budget for Everton this summer, that's all speculation until supporters start seeing that money implemented and players brought in. Maybe the rumors are inaccurate, but the club knows it has massive holes in the squad that need to be filled, and the slow-moving nature of the transfer window thus far has supporters concerned for this upcoming season.
Maybe this player isn't the one that Everton needed, but the overall lack of movement, outside of new striker Thierno Barry and goalkeeper Mark Travers, two players who will likely serve as depth pieces for much of the season, is a problem.
There was plenty of goodwill earned from last season's outcome and the final season at Goodison Park, and there could be more from the United States tour and the move to Hill Dickinson Stadium.
But if Everton don't find a way to improve on the pitch and to do so soon, some of that anticipation will turn to dread once the calendar turns over to August and the 2025/26 season is on the horizon.