With just nine games remaining of the most chaotic, unpredictable and exciting season since its 1992 incarnation, things are finally starting to become a little clearer in the Premier League. Indeed, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City seem certain to be contesting for the title come the end of May, whilst the battle at the other end of the table has thinned out somewhat.

The likes of Crystal Palace, Swansea City and Bournemouth could still be sucked in, but with an eight-point gap between 17th and 16th, the relegation race appears to be a four-horse affair between Sunderland, Newcastle United, Norwich City and Aston Villa - although the latter club are all-but-mathematically down already.

Relegation to the Championship is now more costly than it's arguably ever been. No club wants to miss out on next season's £8billion TV deal in the top flight but wages and transfer fees are now so enormous that second-tier clubs simply struggle to cope with the financial demands.

Accordingly, high-earning top talents are often offloaded to balance the books and usually at a discount. So if you're looking for experience at a bargain price in the transfer market, the Premier League's most recently relegated clubs are usually a good place to start.

With that in mind, we at FootballFanCast HQ have been running the rule over FIVE relegation-threatened stars Everton might well target during the summer transfer window, should they fail to beat the drop...

ROBBIE BRADY

Capable of operating at full-back, on the wing or in central midfield, Robbie Brady would add welcome depth to Everton's squad.

Indeed, the Ireland international predominantly serves as Norwich's No.3 and represents a handy understudy to Leighton Baines, sharing the Goodison veteran's technical quality, creativity and willingness to drive forward.

In fact, he's averaged more created chances per match than Baines this season, 1.5 compared to 1.2, whilst matching him in terms of accurate crosses with 1.8 per outing.

But the 24-year-old has made a handful of appearances as a wide man as well this season and flirted with central midfield throughout his career. So even if stand-in opportunities at left-back are hard to come by on Merseyside, Brady can still enjoy a significant role in Roberto Martinez' squad.

The former Manchester United youngster is the kind of player the Spaniard tends to be drawn to, offering industry, ingenuity and technical quality, and with his contract set to enter its final two years this summer, Norwich will struggle to turn down decent bids if they plummet out of the top flight.

A £5million-£10million fee is the right ballpark.

IDRISSA GUEYE

Many have dubbed bottom-placed Aston Villa the worst Premier League side of all time. They're certainly strong candidates for the most pathetic, but if there's one player who can hold his head ever so slightly higher than his team-mates, it's midfielder Idrissa Gueye.

The Senegal international is perhaps a little unfortunate to find himself at Villa Park in the first place. He was being looked at by a number of clubs last summer after emerging as one of the top enforcers in Ligue 1, much like N'Golo Kante. Whilst Kante went on to join Leicester City, Gueye ended up with their ill-fated Midlands rivals.

No doubt, it took the 26-year-old a while to settle in the Premier League. But he's arguably Villa's only player to show any real progression this season and the stats speak for themselves; 4.3 tackles, 4.4 interceptions, 55 passes and 1.8 successful dribbles per match. He's actually bettered Kante, now seen as the Premier League's top ball-winner, on all four statistics.

With Gareth Barry showing his age, Everton need another holding option in midfield and Gueye represents a surprise candidate. Villa signed him for just under £7million last summer and relegation could force them to sell for even less.

YANN M'VILA

Another relegation-inspired potential successor to Gareth Barry at the base of Everton's midfield, Yann M'Vila is a class act who offers physicality, composure and ball-retaining qualities in the engine room.

Most Premier League fans were probably aware of the 25-year-old before he signed for Sunderland on loan at the start of the season. He was billed as one of French football's most exciting products whilst breaking through at Rennes, playing regularly for the national team until a disciplinary dispute in 2012, and has been linked with countless English clubs, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and QPR.

As previously alluded to, ill-discipline, questionable motivation and bizarre off-pitch incidents - such as assaulting his sister's boyfriend - have curtailed M'Vila's development. Some have even compared him to Mario Balotelli.

But he's demonstrated his quality this season, bagging one goal and three assists whilst averaging 3 tackles, 2.6 interceptions, 49 passes and 1.3 created chances per match, and seems committed enough to the Sunderland cause, missing just one of their 29 Premier League fixtures.

Sunderland won't be able to afford M'Vila permanently if they fail to beat the drop and a return to parent club Rubin Kazan, who he hasn't played for since April 2014, seems incredibly unlikely. That would pave the way for Everton to swoop but unquestionably, the 6 foot midfielder comes with baggage.

MATT RITCHIE

Now just a handful of points away from that all-important 40-mark, it would take a significant downturn in form for 13th-placed Bournemouth to suffer relegation back to the Championship.

Nonetheless, the Premier League new boys aren't safe just yet and I'm sure many clubs - including Everton - are already preparing swoops for Cherries midfielder Matt Ritchie should Eddie Howe's side fail to beat the drop.

The 26-year-old's attacking displays propelled Bournemouth to the top flight last season, notching up 15 goals and 17 assists in 46 appearances, and although he's had a more subtle effect this term, bagging three goals and five set-ups, his technical quality and intelligence on the ball has really stood out.

Indeed, he produced a Goal of the Season contender against Sunderland at the start of the season and really embodies the spirit of a hardworking, creative and forward-thinking Bournemouth side.

It's already clear that Ritchie would resultantly transition to life at Goodison pretty well, with Martinez and Howe fairly close on the philosophical spectrum, and he can perform a number of roles in midfield and attack.

But there is already serious competition for the former Swindon star's signature, most notably from Manchester United.

AYOZE PEREZ

Ayoze Perez hasn't been able to impact the Premier League to the levels expected since signing for Newcastle United - allegedly rejecting interest from Barcelona & Real Madrid in the process - at the start of last season.

Nonetheless, 13 goals in 59 appearances certainly isn't an abysmal return for a 22-year-old who is more a support striker than an out-and-out front-man, plying his trade with a team constantly scrapping for their lives at the bottom of the table and playing some very attritional football.

The Spaniard's potential remains there for all to see - some of his strikes have been top drawer - but it would undoubtedly be more evident, and evident more consistently, in a more technical and creative side like Everton.

Indeed, the versatile forward - who Alan Pardew claims has quicker feet than Carlos Tevez and Teddy Sheringham - seems like a good fit for Roberto Martinez' philosophy and another attacking option would certainly do the Goodison outfit no harm.

Seen as a valuable asset on Tyneside and under contract until 2021, however, Newcastle will expect a big fee for Perez even if they do go down this season.