Zatara
Player Valuation: £100m
Everton's transfer market struggles are compounded by the overload of players and personnel - including Dyche - who are entering the final few months of their contracts.
Even so, it would be wise to bring a first-team player into the brood this winter, and according to The Athletic, that may indeed be the case, with Strasbourg's Habib Diarra recognised as a player of long-standing interest.
The versatile player was looked at in the summer and expressed an intrigue in moving to play in the Premier League, with his ability to shift between midfield and the wing an attractive factor for the Goodison Park side.
A report from the summer pertaining to Everton's curiosity reveals that Diarra is valued at about €35m (£29m), but whether TFG could whittle that fee down does raise question.
Still only 20 years old, Diarra has already racked up 84 senior appearances for Strasbourg after graduating from the French club's academy, scoring ten goals and assisting a further six.
One Italian football writer has commented that he is "skilled with the ball" and endowed with "enormous skills in progression." Diarra would bring something new in this regard, adding energy but also purchase to Everton's engine room.
As per FBref, Diarra ranks among the top 10% of central midfielders in Ligue 1 this term for progressive carries (2.42) per 90, highlighting the forward-moving presence that could elevate Dyche's team.
It should also be noted that, while Diarra has been used centrally this season, he has shown impressive dynamism throughout his fledgling career and may help Everton in a range of roles, including on both wings.
The four-cap Senegal star has the physicality and grit to succeed in the Premier League, completing Everton's midfield while reshaping it into something more modernistic.
His robust input might also give rise to the highest level of certain teammates - like his countryman Iliman Ndiaye, for example.
Diarra has impressed in Ligue 1 this term, scoring three goals and creating four big chances over 14 outings, as per Sofascore. There's no question that he needs to tweak and tune certain aspects of his skillset, but then given that he's still in the maiden phase of his promising career, this is hardly to his detriment.
If anything, Diarra has triumphed with his beginnings over the past few seasons and may now be ready to link up with Ndiaye and restore some of the feel-good factor and fizz on the blue side of the River Mersey.
Everton has been a hotbed for drama in recent years, but TFG's arrival promises a new chapter that might bear dividends down the line.
Of course, without impactful manoeuvring on the transfer front, any short-term gains made will topple like a house of cards. It's paramount that players like Ndiaye are kept on the books and that talents such as Diarra are welcomed to the fold to herald the fresh era.
Everton have reason to be sanguine, and if TFG can indeed orchestrate a momentous deal for Diarra, it would set the right tone and then some.
