Everton were relatively quiet in the January transfer window in terms of both outgoings and incomings, and they made some crucial errors before the deadline on Monday evening.
The Toffees brought in just one addition in the final hours of the window, signing Tyrique George on loan from Chelsea with an option to purchase him on a permanent deal. The England youth international is one of the most exciting wingers in the country for his age, and it's undoubtedly an exciting signing for the Merseyside club.
In terms of departures, David Moyes' side didn't let any senior players go, which isn't a huge surprise given the current state of their squad. Jack Grealish's injury forced Everton into the market to sign George, with the Manchester City loanee potentially ruled out for the season due to a foot problem.
The Toffees made three big errors in the market, all for different reasons.
Harrison Armstrong Conundrum
harrison armstrong
Now this is perhaps the most controversial situation. Harrison Armstrong was recalled from his loan spell at Preston in the Championship in January, with Everton missing Idrissa Gueye, Tim Iroegbunam, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall due to injuries and international duty.
The young midfielder, who was flourishing on loan in the Championship, quickly became a regular for Moyes, and has stayed in the side since his return.
Now, Everton have all of their midfielders back, and with George arriving through the door, there's a chance Armstrong will no longer play every week. Everton's first error in the market was not allowing Armstrong to return to Preston. The England youth international would have been better served playing regularly and developing in the Championship, rather than sitting on the bench.
This situation may look different in a few months time if Moyes continues to play Armstrong, but there's a chance his game time decreases.
Failing to Sign a Right-Back
Jake O'Brien
Everton have needed a new right-back for a number of years now, with Seamus Coleman reaching the latter stages of his career. Nathan Patterson has come back into the fold of late, but he's shown since his arrival that he struggles with consistently, partly down to regular injuries that hamper his chances of getting a run in the side.
Moyes has regularly deployed Jake O'Brien as a makeshift right-back since he took over at the club, and although he's done a solid job at times, Everton need a natural right-back. The Toffees might have been looking to keep their powder dry in the summer, but it's become a real problem.
O'Brien struggles when it comes to the attacking side of the game, which is no surprise given he's a centre-back. It's becoming unforgivable that Everton have failed to address the right-back situation once again.
Dwight McNeil's Failed Departure
Dwight McNeil
Everton winger Dwight McNeil was close to joining Crystal Palace on deadline day, before his move fell through at the last minute. Although Everton are a little short in the winger department, the £20m offer from Palace was too good to turn down, and it's no surprise they were happy to do a deal.
Although it seems as though it wasn't Everton's fault that a deal fell through, the Toffees should have actively tried to move McNeil on earlier in the window if they were happy to sanction a departure. Leaving it until the last minute meant they couldn't sign a replacement anyway, and it also put a lot of pressure on to get a deal over the line.
In reality, it's most unfair on McNeil, and it was a mistake from Everton not to try and sell him earlier in January.