Everton find themselves in a truly intriguing situation in this January transfer window.
The Premier League season is almost halfway completed and the Blues have defied the expectations of many to still be firmly in the hunt for not just European football, but a Champions League position.
Carlo Ancelotti's summer signings have been key to that form, not just through their individual performances but in helping raise the displays of those around them.
With there still being a few days left for the club to make more mid-season additions before taking on the back-nine of the campaign, a debate has sprung up among some sections of the fanbase.
Should the club be moving in the January transfer window to try and fully capitalise on the current position they are in?
The sentiment makes sense. The addition of quality at this stage of the season could ultimately prove to be the difference between important places in the league table.
The big problem facing Everton, however, hasn't changed. The memories of past errors are still looming over the club.
Marcel Brands spoke at the club's virtual General Meeting last week to discuss the winter window, making clear that he didn't expect anybody coming through the door this time around.
Last year, the only arrival in January was Jarrad Branthwaite. The year previously, no-one was signed.
The current director of football might not have been at the club to oversee some of the previous errors made in winter transfer windows, but he's all too aware of the consequences.
The Blues are still attempting to shrink their squad in order to make their finances more appealing, with a priority in selling or loaning fringe players who don't find themselves in Ancelotti's plans.
Muhamed Besic and Yannick Bolasie in particular fall in to a category of relatively high earners who are not included in the club's 2020/21 Premier League squad as things stand.
Neither were signed in January, of course, but they have become an issue for Everton to attempt to solve this month.
The Blues are seemingly not the only club in this situation, however, with there being a distinct lack of activity over the course of this winter period so far in terms of transfers.
In the current situation across the world in the middle of this pandemic, sides are less willing to take risks and don't want to let potential assets leave.
Similarly, they are seemingly less willing to take a punt on high-earning players at Everton who have hardly managed any game time recently.
That will potentially only push the prices of any January signings up even further, and Blues supporters are well aware of what happened the last few times they spent big in the winter.
Back in 2018, Cenk Tosun and Theo Walcott were the big arrivals in January. The club are still willing to listen to offers for the former, although he has played his way into Ancelotti's plans it seems, while the latter is out on loan with Southampton and running down the final months of his Goodison Park contract.
The year before those arrivals, Ademola Lookman and Morgan Schneiderlin were the big-money transfers in the winter. In 2016, it was Oumar Niasse.
Everton have already made financial mistakes in past January transfer windows, admittedly long before both Ancelotti and Brands were there.
While bringing quality to the club could be the difference in terms of potentially Champions League qualification, it equally could not be the case and could backfire.
That's the risk that has always come with the January window, and the big issue for the Blues has remained the same for some time.
While unwanted players are still at Finch Farm, the risks that bringing big-money additions to the club will only increase.
The opportunity is potentially still there to plan for the future, of course, with Branthwaite's arrival last year being a perfect example of how effective that can prove to be.
So arrivals in the next few weeks can't be fully ruled out, especially if some space on the wage bill is cleared somewhat by the exit of some players.
But Everton's main issue in January hasn't changed yet, despite the club's lofty position in the Premier League table as things stand.
You can argue that this is all a risk worth taking of course, and if the right player is available then who's to say it couldn't prove to be a fantastic decision from the Blues to bring them in.
But, the risk remains, all the same.
