As Rafa Benitez gets his feet under the table as Everton manager, Blues fans are wondering who might end up being his first signing?
That initial purchase can be seen as a real statement of intent from a new boss and the direction the club are going in but that’s not always the case.
Here’s a look back at who other Everton managers in the 21 st century have brought in as their first signing and the implications of the deal.
David Moyes
Having been appointed the previous March, former Preston North End boss Moyes had already offloaded some of the old pros in Everton’s squad such as Paul Gascoigne and David Ginola before he started building his own side that were both young and hungry like himself.
Although initially only a loan signing, Nigerian World Cup star Joseph Yobo fit the bill in 2002.
Just 21 years of age, he nevertheless already had international experience having been an ever-present for the Super Eagles at that summer’s tournament in Japan and South Korea.
The deal, with an option for a permanent switch also enabled the Blues to gauge whether the player, who was arriving from Olympique Marseille, was suited to the English game.
Yobo would have no such problems though and went on to play 259 times for Everton, the most appearances for the club from anyone from his continent to date.
Roberto Martinez
Having just won the FA Cup with Wigan Athletic (while also being relegated) prior to being appointed by Everton, Catalan Martinez stuck with what he knew and snapped up a quartet of players from the Latics in his first summer in charge.
The first through the door was 29-year-old Ivory Coast striker Arouna Kone and he would be followed by Paraguayan centre-back Antolin Alcaraz, Republic of Ireland midfielder James McCarthy and Spanish goalkeeper Joel Robles who had been on loan at Wigan and joined from Atletico Madrid.
Kone suffered knee cartilage damage just six games into his Everton career in October and was sidelined for the remainder of the season.
He returned to fitness the following campaign but netted just once in 16 outings although Martinez’s third and final season at Goodison proved his most fruitful as he struck seven times, including a hat-trick in a 6-2 home win over Sam Allardyce’s Sunderland.
Ronald Koeman
Dutch master Koeman chose one of his compatriots to be his first signing as he snapped up Maartin Stekelenburg from Fulham.
The goalkeeper had spent just one campaign playing at Craven Cottage and after their relegation from the Premier League he’d spent subsequent seasons out on loan with Monaco and then Southampton where he’d worked under Koeman.
Despite having played in the World Cup final six years earlier, the 33-year-old was only expected to be a number two choice at Everton.
However, the club failed to sign any other keepers that summer and he ended up battling for the jersey with Robles.
Stekelenburg’s Blues highlight was when Koeman hailed him as having “the game of his life” away to Manchester City in his first season where he saved penalties from both Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero in a 1-1 draw.
Benched after Jordan Pickford’s arrival in 2017, he returned to Ajax, where he started his career, in 2020 and after Andre Onana was handed a 12-month ban in February this year for taking a banned substance, the now 38-year-old Stekelenburg re-established himself as first choice for club and then country.
Sam Allardyce
After landing the most high-profile club post of his career aged 63, Allardyce was wary about the importance of getting it right with his first signing and declared: “It has to be correct for Everton and for my future here – make bad signings and you get the sack, it’s that simple.”
He was proven right but not in a way he’d have liked.
Big Sam’s first signing was Cenk Tosun, the £27million Turkish international striker.
In three-and-a-half years since he’s netted just 11 times in 58 games and had loans at Crystal Palace and previous club Besiktas both cut short through injury.
Allardyce, who also snapped up the underwhelming Theo Walcott for big money from Arsenal, had gone just four months after the winter transfer window had shut.
Marco Silva
Like both Martinez and to some extent Koeman, Silva went with what he knew by going back to his previous club to sign Richarlison from Watford.
The Portuguese coach was the man in charge at Vicarage Road when the Hornets had plucked the then 20-year-old Brazilian from Fluminense the previous summer.
Despite a bright start at Watford, Richarlison, like his team-mates faded fast in 2017/18.
He scored all of his five goals – including one at Goodison when his side surrendered a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 – by November 19.
When Everton splashed out £35million for his services, former Premier League player Paul Merson complained they’d “spoiled the (transfer) window.”
Some 119 games and 42 goals for the Blues since from a player who is now a Brazil regular suggests otherwise.
Carlo Ancelotti
Given that three-times Champions League-winning coach Ancelotti was earmarked as the man to entice big names to Goodison Park, the first official signing under his watch was surprisingly low-key.
Clearly a ‘club’ recruit pursued by director of football Marcel Brands and his scouting team, Everton signed 17-year-old centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite from League Two Carlisle United in the January 2020 window.
He’d go on to play five first team games under the Italian before being loaned out to Championship side Blackburn Rovers last term.
More typical signings from Ancelotti came in the summer of last year in the shape of Brazilian midfielder Allan from his previous club Napoli and Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez, who teamed up with him for the third time in his career.
For the record, Benitez’s first four signings as Liverpool manager in his initial summer in charge at Anfield in 2004 were all fellow Spaniards – Josemi, Antonio Nunez, Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia.
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