Everton legend Kevin Ratcliffe believes the club represent one of Carlo Ancelotti's toughest challenges as a manager.
The Italian was appointed at Goodison Park in December 2019 following the sacking of Marco Silva earlier that month, and saw an initial upturn in form following his arrival.
However, problems across the squad reared up again as the campaign wore on and the Blues were left in 12th by the time the Premier League season drew to a close.
Ahead of an important summer transfer window, Ratcliffe believes past recruitment has been a huge factor behind Everton's current struggles.
And the former club captain also thinks Ancelotti faces a "total rebuild" to solve the problems in the Blues squad.
Ratcliffe told the BBC: "Your first job in management is always your toughest because you are trying to make your mark and prove yourself but this might be his toughest since.
"In the past he has maybe plugged holes and had great players but Everton have got big, big holes and no great players. It is really a total rebuild.
"Recruitment has let Everton down. They have spent over the odds and paid ridiculous wages for average players.
"The club has been mismanaged with the managers appointed. How did Marco Silva get the Everton job? Where on his CV in the Premier League did it say he was right for that job? He took Hull City down and faded at Watford after a good start.
"You look at Gylfi Sigurdsson being signed for £45m. He was signed as a number 10 and is then played on the left wing because Everton already had two number 10s in Wayne Rooney and Davy Klaassen. Where was the thinking there?"
Not only will this be an important summer in terms of adding quality to the squad, but a number of players on the books still will need to be cleared out.
And Ratcliffe believes that will provide another issue for the manager and the rest of the recruitment team, not just this year.
"Ancelotti is a top-class manager but the biggest problem he has got is trying to recoup some of the money Everton have spent. This will take more than a year," the Blues legend added.
"He has to look right down the middle. They need an authoritative centre-back, a dominant midfield player, a striker and another wide man.
"It is also difficult to see where the leaders are when they are losing games."
