It was only a matter of time before the links started to come, but former West Ham striker Michail Antonio has been connected with a move to Everton, having turned down a new contract with the Hammers.
The 35-year-old missed a large chunk of last season after crashing his car in December, but had not been on an impressive start to the campaign since the accident. He had started 11 of 14 Premier League matches, but only managed one goal and one assist in just 836 minutes.
But he'd been on a decent run of seasons before the most recent one, scoring double-digit goals in successive campaigns starting in 2019/20, topping out at 13 in back-to-back years (2021/22 and 2022/23), before hitting just seven times in 2023/24.
David Moyes was Antonio's manager during the heights of his time at West Ham and so the links make a lot of sense because of that. Even more so because the player is a free agent and so would only cost money for his wages and Everton wouldn't need to fight with anyone else for his signature.
Everton have been connected with several strikers during this window so far, but the bulk of them have been younger, up-and-coming players who would help to push Beto and help create a solid one-two punch up top for the Toffees.
But Antonio would be more of a depth piece rather than someone who would make a massive difference in the outcome of Everton's season, so in that regard it wouldn't be the worst signing in the world.
Still, while Everton can't fill the squad completely with young players, adding Antonio now would feel like a step back rather than a forward looking option. They should still look to add a veteran depth piece and possibly loan Youssef Chermiti out where he can get match time.
But that veteran also has to be someone you can trust to fill the role if called upon, and at this point in his career, it doesn't feel like Michail Antonio would be able to offer that anymore.