To say that Everton's recruitment in recent years has been poor would be an understatement, having welcomed the likes of Cenk Tosun and Moise Kean, who both failed to add any attacking spark at Goodison Park. It remains to be seen whether their additions in the summer transfer window avoid flop status, too, with Beto, Jack Harrison, and Arnaut Danjuma particularly under pressure but looking positive so far.
Sean Dyche's side have turned a corner recently, putting an end to a winless run of five games in the Premier League by defeating Brentford before knocking Aston Villa out of the Carabao Cup. With a crucial relegation six-pointer against Luton Town up next, too, Everton will hope to make it three consecutive wins, and two in a row in the Premier League.
As they improve on the pitch, those in charge at Goodison Park are also set for improvements off the pitch after reportedly agreeing a deal which should only help them when the January transfer window opens.
What's the latest Everton news?
The investment of 777 Partners should at least ease Everton's financial worries if all goes well, hopefully ensuring funding for their new stadium, and now their attention could turn towards January reinforcements, which could make or break their season.
Getting recruitment right is important for any side, but if a side battling relegation gets things wrong in January, then it is likely to end in at least one season in the Championship. And that's where the addition of Phil Boardman could boost Everton's survival chances.
According to Football Insider, the Toffees have reached an agreement with Portsmouth to sign their recruitment chief, with an eye on avoiding any further transfer flops when it comes to January reinforcements. Boardman will be boosted by the fact that he previously worked with Everton's director of football, Kevin Thelwell at Wolverhampton Wanderers, which should make the transition fairly seamless.
Who is Phil Boardman?
Arriving at Portsmouth in 2017, Boardman has helped the League One club welcome a number of signings, including in the summer just gone, which saw them welcome several players on free deals, avoiding a single transfer fee to highlight how smart Boardman can be. And, so far, those signings have worked out, with his club sitting top of the league.
Everton will hope that the chief of recruitment can bring his quality in abundance to Goodison Park, where he will be tasked with putting an end to what has been an endless stream of transfers to forget. If he does ensure that Everton's January recruitment turns their fortunes around, then Boardman may well go down as their smartest addition of the season.
He will have some task on his hands, that's for sure, but Dyche could certainly do with the reinforcements when the winter transfer window opens. Backed by the investment of 777 Partners, too, those at Goodison Park may have an adequate transfer budget to play with.
For now, whilst improvements are made off the pitch, Dyche's focus will be on mounting a consistent run of form at Everton, and guiding them further and further away from relegation trouble.