Following his first game back as Everton manager, David Moyes declared the club definitely needed “to do something” in the winter window of the transfer market but in the end the Blues only brought in Charly Alcaraz, with the deal not officially confirmed until 75 minutes after the deadline had passed, so will the Argentinian midfielder prove enough and was he worth the wait?

Unlike the start of his first stint at Goodison Park in 2002, when Fulham were beaten 2-1, following Moyes dubbing his new employers “The People’s Club,” as he was unveiled the previous evening, the 1-0 home reversal to Aston Villa on January 15 this year proved something of a rude awakening when it came to the magnitude of the task ahead for the Scot. Following a display that had all the hallmarks of being a hangover of the previous regime under Sean Dyche, Moyes lamented: “We’re desperately needing to add some quality in certain areas, mainly to create and craft goals, and it looks like to finish as well, we’re needing to get those levels up.”

Back then, the returning Blues boss, who steered the club to nine top-eight finishes in his first spell in charge, including their highest Premier League position of fourth in 2004/05, had spent little more than one full day with the squad, but come the following Sunday, significant changes in style and attitude from the team were evident as the first of a hat-trick of victories was secured by a team who had previously not won back-to-back fixtures all season.

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The 3-2 success against Tottenham Hotspur has now been followed up by a 1-0 triumph at Brighton & Hove Albion in what was the 61-year-old’s 700th Premier League game – an exclusive club of which the only other members are legendary pair Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson – while Leicester City were blown away 4-0 last Saturday to open up a nine-point gap between the relegation zone and Everton, who also have a far superior goal difference on the sides below them plus a game in hand.

Even after that chastening defeat to Unai Emery’s men, Moyes had cautioned: “if it’s not going to be someone which makes the team better then there’s no point in wasting our money. So we have to get that option of somebody we think could do better than what we’ve got.”

Given that Alcaraz was ultimately the only one through the door at Finch Farm then before the window “slammed shut” as Sky Sports like to say, that’s something of a glowing endorsement of the 22-year-old. Speaking in his pre-match press conference for the visit of Leicester, just hours before Flamengo announced Alcaraz’s exit, Moyes admitted that PSR issues were continuing to hamper the Blues’ pursuit of targets and remarked: “I want to sign people who I think the supporters will be excited by and would love to come and see.”

Can Alcaraz prove to be that kind of acquisition? Moyes’ maiden signing first time around was also a loan signing born outside of Europe in the shape of Joseph Yobo who would go on to make 259 appearances for the club, a figure that only his future team-mates Tim Howard (414) and Tim Cahill (278) can top among players from outside the British Isles.

That same summer though, the Scot would bring in a target from the Brazilian League who would lack the same kind of staying power. Rodrigo, a Santos-born on-loan midfielder from Botafogo would total just 52 minutes of playing time across four cameo appearances off the bench before suffering a serious knee injury.

The ECHO understands it was an issue over an injury insurance clause that caused the delay over Alcaraz’s announcement and the requirement to use a deal sheet, despite other elements of the move having already been settled, including the player’s photographs in an Everton kit at Finch Farm which were dated as being taken on Saturday. Hailing from La Plata, the midfielder made his debut in English football at Goodison Park against the Blues, coming on as a 61st minute substitute for Romeo Lavia in Southampton’s 2-1 win on January 14, 2023.

Alcaraz would make 48 appearances for the Saints and score eight goals before a loan spell in Italy during the second half of last season, turning out a dozen times for Juventus. The Serie A giants turned down their option to buy him for a hefty €49.5million fee, so after just one game back in the Premier League last August, coming on for the final nine minutes of Southampton’s 1-0 loss at Newcastle United, the player was on his way back to South America to become Flamengo’s record signing as the club with Brazil’s biggest fanbase parted with €18million for his services.

Rio de Janeiro-based journalist Rodrigo Calvozzo has been watching Alcaraz up close in recent months and believes the player is arriving on Merseyside with a point to prove. He told the ECHO: “Alcaraz’s departure from Flamengo was very surprising, as he was the most expensive signing in the club’s history and there was an expectation that he would be able to showcase his talent this season.

“Since arriving last August, he has played 19 matches and scored three goals, the most recent being in the last match against small Sampaio Correia in the Rio de Janeiro regional championship. Officially, Flamengo’s management says they released the player because it was an interesting financial opportunity for both them and the player.

“The director Jose Boto also stated that Alcaraz’s playing style does not sit well with what coach Filipe Luis is putting into practice and that is why he would not have many opportunities. On the other hand, it is worth highlighting that Flamengo is under new management this year and the current owners are making important changes to its administration, with many alterations and reduced expenses, which may also have influenced this decision.

“Flamengo fans were surprised by the news, as it was expected that due to the high investment, Alcaraz would also be able to provide a big impact in the team, but he did not have many opportunities and when he did, he was quiet. For this reason, despite the unexpected news, there is no feeling of revolt among fans caused by his early departure.”