Whilst continued FFP struggles could see Everton hamstrung in the transfer market this summer, it appears they have already lined up a replacement for one of their stars linked with a move away.
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With balancing the books in the midst of a takeover the most important job for the Toffees at the moment, a number of outgoings at the club are expected to take place this summer. Midfielder Amadou Onana has already been linked with a move to both Chelsea and Newcastle, with the Belgian unlikely to be playing his football at Goodison Park next season.
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Another likely transfer is 21-year-old Jarrad Branthwaite, who has caught the attention of top Premier League sides during his first full campaign with the Toffees. Spurs and Man United have both expressed an interest in the defender, who looks certain to be departing Merseyside this summer.
Whilst losing Branthwaite would be disappointing for Everton fans, it appears that the club have already lined up a replacement who could fill the departing player's shoes.
Everton interested in defender with "a lot of potential"
As first reported by The Daily Mirror, Everton are interested in signing Jacob Greaves from Hull City. The outlet states that the Toffees are already drawing up plans for Branthwaite's potential departure with Greaves at the top of their wishlist.
As far as Everton are concerned, trading one young left-footed central defender for another would be smart business, with Greaves already showing that he has the ability to play in the top flight. The 23-year-old has been one of the standout performers in Liam Rosenior's playoff-chasing Tigers, only missing one league game all season.
This most recent campaign has seen the confidence of Hull's vice-captain skyrocket, becoming a lot more natural on the ball and acting as a vital cog in Rosenior's possession-centric system. Greaves' stats for the season see him rank seventh in the division for passes completed whilst still winning the fourth most aerial duels.
From this it is clear that the Englishman is something of a unique talent in this current crop of Championship defenders. Comfortable with the ball at his feet, Greaves is still able to do the defensive dirty work that Sean Dyche can rely upon.
Unfortunately for Everton fans, Premier League attention is nothing new to Greaves, and it is likely that they will face opposition to secure his services this summer. Whilst links to Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa last year amounted to nothing, it is likely that there could be an ensuing bidding war for the defender.
Speaking on last season's rumours, Rosenior praised Greaves' time at Hull City so far telling the press: "Jacob's an outstanding player. Would I rather have him here from a footballing point of view? One hundred percent, because he's got so much potential and so much to learn."
"He's brilliant. He's naturally an outstanding player. He's captain when Lewie's (Coyle) not on the pitch, he's got a lot of potential, he understands the game."
One saving grace for the Toffees is that Greaves' agent is the same as their shot stopper Jordan Pickford. In the event that there is a battle to secure his services, it could be England's number one who convinces Greaves to move to Merseyside.