The big ticket item on the list of most teams in the Premier League was soon-to-be former Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, and all signs point to the Englishman joining Chelsea once the transfer window opens.
Everton met with the striker, a fact that was confirmed by manager David Moyes, and the Toffees were reportedly ready to hand the young player a sizable wage to entice him to come to Merseyside. But without European football, the best position Everton were always going to finish in this particular race was second.
Frankly, while the team could certainly use more goals in the side, adding a top striker always felt like a move that Everton didn't need to focus on. Sure, if you can convince a young player with just a release clause attached to him to come to your club, then you take it and hope you can reap the benefits down the line; but on the whole, there are bigger holes in Everton's squad than striker.
Yes, they'll need to add depth there, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin almost assuredly moving on and the only backup behind Beto being Youssef Chermiti. But strikers are expensive and the needs at other positions are greater.
Chief among those is the midfield, which is losing Abdoulaye Doucoure, and while Idrissa Gana Gueye appears to be returning to the club for two more years, he cannot be expected to continue at the pace he played at this season forever.
Everton do have James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam as cover there, but it doesn't feel sufficient, so maybe there are players, like Angel Gomes or other options, who can join the Toffees and step into the middle of the park next to Gana.
Centerback depth to replace the departing Michael Keane will also be on the list, especially as other clubs keep calling about Jarrad Branthwaite. But even if the Toffee's Young Player of the Season agrees to stay on Merseyside, they'll need at least one more player for cover there.
And, of course, there are the issues at right back and on the wings, although securing Charly Alcaraz's long-term future does help with the latter in some ways, even if he is more of a central player.
Right back, though, is a position that Everton cannot ignore any longer. Maybe there's hope for someone like Nathan Patterson, and Moyes has said he wants Seamus Coleman on the playing squad next year, but neither has shown he can be counted on.
If there's a place to spend money, it'll be on the wings and at right back, hopefully to secure those positions for the forseeable future.
Yes, getting Liam Delap to join would have been a coup of some sort, but it never felt like it was really happening for Everton. So it's time for the club to turn its attention to other positions of greater need and secure a solid squad for the first season at Hill Dickinson Stadium.