Everton have lost out on their number one summer transfer target, Charles N'Zogbia, after Wigan agreed a fee with Aston Villa for the Frenchman.
Latics chairman Dave Whelan was thought to be holding out for £10m for the winger, who he rates as one of the best in the country.
But he looks to have come down slightly on that estimation after it was reported Wigan and Villa came to an agreement at £9.5m.
That sum is one Everton will be unlikely to match having been financially hamstrung in their efforts to land N'Zogbia all summer.
Villa have the benefit of an enlarged war chest after raising around £35m from the sale of their two best players in Ashley Young and Stewart Downing this summer.
Everton, by comparison, have been loathe to entertain talk of their top talent heading for the exit with a bid for Phil Jagielka from Arsenal having already been turned down, and talk of Jack Rodwell's sale rubbished by the club.
David Moyes now looks increasingly likely to turn to the loan market with very little in the way of expendable cash available for permanent transfers.
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gdaza, cwall around 10 months ago