Everton have found themselves struggling in another Premier League relegation battle this season and their questionable transfer business has without a doubt contributed to their plight.
The Toffees are currently 18th in the top-flight table following a poor run of form that has seen them unable to pick up all three points from any of their last five fixtures, leaving them in a precarious position going into their final six games of the season.
Indeed, Sean Dyche hasn't had the greatest opportunity to get the very best from his squad with several injuries to key players, whilst morale and confidence would have been low when he inherited the responsibilities of Frank Lampard at Goodison Park.
Not only that, the failure to secure the signing of a prolific and reliable goal-scorer has been a massive contributor to the Merseyside club's downfall, with Richarlison and Anthony Gordon's exits combined with Dominic Calvert-Lewin's injury woes having an adverse effect on the goal contributions and quality in the forward line.
No other Premier League club has scored fewer goals than Everton this season (24) which is a testament to the sticky situation they have found themselves in and a reflection of the opportunity squandered to strengthen the centre-forward position in the winter transfer window.
One player who was reportedly targeted by the Goodison Park outfit was Danny Ings, with the striker instead signing a £15m deal to join West Ham United and that decision could be the catalyst to Everton's first-ever Premier League relegation next month.
Why didn't Everton sign Danny Ings?
When the transfer window opened in January, it was widely expected that Everton would make a forward signing after a promising start in the Premier League turned into a familiar nightmare for the supporters of the club, with poor performances stacking up and a fall into the bottom half leading to panic.
Instead, the powerbrokers at Goodison sacked Lampard, sold their talented prospect in Gordon, and waited until Deadline Day to announce their new manager, spurning further chaos and a clear lack of organisation that led to no signings being made when it mattered most.
There is no doubt that Ings would have been a much better signing than Neal Maupay, with the Everton flop only tallying up one goal in the entire campaign, whilst the Hammers marksman has delivered ten in all competitions so far.
The 30-year-old striker – who was dubbed a "phenomenal finisher" by pundit Noel Whelan – is a renowned Premier League striker with successful spells at Aston Villa and Southampton, as well as being Dyche's go-to target man in front of goal at Turf Moor with Burnley.
Ings has tallied up 70 goals and 19 assists in 199 top-flight appearances, averaging an impressive 41% shot accuracy and delivering 166 shots on target over his career so far, proving that he would've been the perfect fit for the Toffees and at least given them a consistent focal point in Calvert-Lewin's absence.
Now Farhad Moshiri will have to hope that Calvert-Lewin's return from injury will inspire a miracle in front of goal over the remaining fixtures, as the pressure is mounting and Dyche is running out of opportunities to save Everton from their own mistakes.