Later reduced to six upon appeal, and with Nottingham Forest having just been dealt their own four-point penalty, there have been numerous new precedents set, neither of which seem very aligned.

This is a big worry, as each independent commission seems to harbour its own views on the matter. This is solely down to the Premier League’s misconduct throughout this process.

So, nobody knows whether this summer will mark another mass overhaul at Goodison Park, once again offloading a star name in order to balance the books.

Should they be forced into such an action, Amadou Onana marks the outstanding option to depart.

Amadou Onana attracting plenty of transfer interest

Whilst he has been an integral figure for Sean Dyche this season, the Belgium international is not without his detractors.

After all, many argue that with his technical prowess and physical presence he should be influencing games more than he does.

Others will then argue back with various statistics which aim to prove his importance to the side.

Both sides do have points, but should they receive a huge fee, there are cheaper replacements on the market that could plug his vacancy for at least a few years until the club can get into the Bramley-Moore Dock stadium safely.

Manchester United, Newcastle United, Barcelona and Arsenal are all clubs who have been linked with a move in recent months.

Everton should push to sign Ross Barkley

Although it was a move that many fans laughed off in the summer, Ross Barkley has more than proven his worth with Luton Town this season.

Having become a mainstay under Rob Edwards, his performances in the engine room have been nothing short of electric, as an all-action enforcer willing to stick his foot in and break up play, but also collect the ball on the half turn and drive forward, creating too.

He does everything that the Onana naysayers claim he does not, and with speculation over the length of his contract with the Hatters, could be acquired for a cut price.

This season, the Englishman has already recorded seven goal contributions in the Premier League, and is averaging 1.4 key passes and 6.4 ball recoveries per game for a side struggling at the bottom of the table, via Sofascore.

Having left the club under acrimonious circumstances back in 2018, the 30-year-old enjoyed a fruitful time at Goodison Park, playing for his boyhood club.

Roberto Martinez, back in 2016, tipped him for greatness. He noted: ‘What’s clear with Ross is, we all saw that he had the potential to be world-class. We’re not only talking about his technical ability but his physicality too. I don’t think there are many players who have that physicality combined and his technical level.’

Having not quite lived up to those expectations, perhaps he could now return to the Toffees to atone for his exit and help provide that stability needed for the next few years.

Swapping him for Onana could prove a clever move to boost their PSR case without weakening the squad too much.

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