Everton’s transfer business over the Farhad Moshiri-era was dubious to say the least, with a lot of money squandered on below-par players. But one piece of business they almost got over the line would have enhanced that thought process, with a failed target that Jamie Carragher has compared to Virgil van Dijk.

Everton had previously purchased the likes of Cenk Tosun, Davy Klaassen, Theo Walcott and Morgan Schneiderlin to name but a few, going for European and Premier League experience.

That largely didn’t work out. Only a handful of signings turned out to be useful, and it resulted in Everton eventually being handed an eight-point deduction for their financial mismanagement.

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But they could have risen in the league table and secured continental football under Carlo Ancelotti had Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes signed for them, with the star admitting he completed a medical at Goodison Park before the Gunners came in.

Photo by Vince Mignott/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images

With Everton having signed James Rodriguez as well as Allan Marques and Abdoulaye Doucoure in the summer of 2020, it was certainly an exciting time in the blue half of Merseyside.

But Gabriel was one player...