Everton's transfer window looks to be drawing to a close, and while several enterprising signings have been made, judgment will be reserved until the season's narrative unravels after the early-season scramble simmers down.
The Toffees narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League for the second successive season last year, and with two defeats kicking off Sean Dyche's first full term at the club, early alarm bells are already ringing around Goodison Park.
The club will be emboldened by Che Adams' imminent arrival, with the Southampton striker set to join Everton for £15m, while Youssef Chermiti, Arnaut Danjuma and Jack Harrison have already made the move to Merseyside.
There could still be room for another acquisition, however, with FC Porto winger Goncalo Borges at the centre of recent links to a move to Everton.
What's the latest on Goncalo Borges to Everton?
That's according to Portuguese outlet A Bola, who claim that Porto are acceptant of Borges' likely departure this month, with Everton joined in their interest by West Ham United.
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The 22-year-old winger is valued at €15m (£13m), but the report hints that this is well within Dyche's grasp and he could be the man to kickstart a new chapter on Merseyside.
How good is Goncalo Borges?
Primarily featuring on the right wing but also finding success on the alternate flank, the two-cap Portugal U21 international has yet to quite cement a regular starting berth in the Porto first-team, but the mounting interest in his signature is evidence enough that he is blossoming into a talented phenom.
This term, he has registered an assist from one substitute appearance and was previously hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his role in a "superb" Porto U19 side that triumphed in the UEFA Youth League in 2018/19.
Borges also made 3.85 take-ons per 90 last season, as per FBref, highlighting his aptitude as a progressive presence – for reference, Vinicius Jr., who ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues for the same metric, recorded an average of 3.86.
Of course, such comparisons must be taken with a pinch of salt after Borges completed just ten matches in the Primeira Liga last year, but it does illustrate the brilliance of his ball-carrying and the kind of player he could become if nurtured aptly.
More recently, Kulig highlighted his strength in "pace, dribbling, technique, ball control, creativity", also listing him as a comparable player to Bayern Munich's Serge Gnabry, and if Everton could unleash their own version of the Germany international it would be quite a boost to Dyche's side's season.
Gnabry signed for the imperious German Bundesliga champions from Werder Bremen in 2017 for just €8m (£7m), since making 219 appearances, scoring 81 goals and supplying 51 assists, also winning one Champions League trophy and the Bundesliga in each of his five campaigns with the club.
The former Arsenal starlet ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers for goals and the top 14% for assists per 90, though given that he only records 1.21 successful take-ons per 90 (bottom 29%), it's clear that Borges can pump far more energy and life into the flank than his distinguished positional peer does at present, marauding up and down the Toffees wing and wreaking havoc.
Everton must sign Borges, though he is inexperienced on the major stage, the Portuguese prospect is burgeoning and could burst into prominence with a central role under Dyche's stewardship.