James Rodriguez’s reunion with Carlo Ancelotti at Everton after two prior spells together at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich shows there is no lack of ambition on the blue side of Merseyside to force themselves into the Premier League’s top six.
But billionaire owner Farhad Moshiri’s lavish spending has yet to bear much fruit at Goodison Park.
Since the British-Iranian businessman took a controlling stake in the club in February 2016 with Everton 11th in the table, over £400 million ($517 million) has been spent on new players and the hiring and firing of high-profile coaches.
Last season, after Ancelotti’s first seven months in charge, they finished 12th.