After a poor start under former manager Marco Silva, things have turned around at Goodison Park.

The appointment of former AC Milan, Chelsea and Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti led to Everton going on a run of eight league matches with just one defeat and climbing the Premier League table up into 12th.

However, there remains work to be done if they are to begin challenging for European football once again and Ancelotti will likely be eyeing his first summer transfer window as an important opportunity.

The arrival of Farhad Moshiri in 2016 as majority shareholder saw the club increase their spending in the transfer window, with Gylfi Sigurdsson, Richarlison, Michael Keane and Lucas Digne all arriving for significant fees in recent windows.

The emergence of academy players Tom Davies, Mason Holgate and Dominic Calvert-Lewin has also formed a talented young core within the squad, but it is likely they will look to strengthen again this summer,

Here, we look at five players they should look to target...

Wendel

Wendell in action for Bayer Leverkusen

The 22-year-old midfielder has been linked with Everton in recent weeks and despite reports in Portugal suggesting the club have not yet made an approach, he is a player they could target.

Averaging 57.8 passes per match at an accuracy of 92.6%, the Brazilian is a talented distributor who can also serve as a creator managing 1.2 key passes per match and one assist from his 19 league appearances.

While Everton already have Andre Gomes, Fabian Delph, Davies, Morgan Schneiderlin or Jean-Phillippe Gbamin have all failed to nail down a starting role in central midfield, with none of them managing 20 league starts this term.

Valued at around £26.5m, Wendel would cost a fair sum and it could come down to Everton's ability to pay in the current climate.

Adrien Rabiot

If Wendel is a younger and slightly less proven at the top level option, Adrien Rabiot comes with plenty of pedigree.

According to reports from TuttoJuve, Ancelotti has been in talks with the agent of the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, who has failed to make the impact he would have hoped to have at Juventus and could be available for less than £20m.

Following his summer arrival from PSG, the 25-year-old has made just 11 Serie A starts, with Miralem Pjanic, Rodrigo Bentancur and Aaron Ramsey all providing competition.

An excellent passer, Rabiot has averaged 43.8 completed passes and two key passes per match when he has played and could add plenty of guile and skill to the Everton midfield.

Jan Vertonghen

jan vertonghen vs norwich fa cup

The Tottenham Hotspur defender and Belgium international has been a Premier League stalwart over the past few seasons, but is set to be out of contract this summer.

Despite now being 33 years of age he remains a top level defender and if he does become available on a free, Everton should certainly consider his signature.

In a transfer market where fees are likely to be reduced, signing a player of his calibre on a free would be a prudent move and with the club already having three centre-backs in Yerry Mina, Keane and Holgate that are all in their 20s, a more experienced defender could prove valuable.

David Brooks

David Brooks v Newcastle

The 22-year-old saw his 2019-20 season sadly disrupted by injury, but he remains an exciting talent.

With seven goals and five assists in his debut Premier League campaign, the Welshman impressed out wide for Bournemouth and could provide something missing from the current Everton attack.

In Bernard, Alex Iwobi, Theo Walcott and Richarlison, the Toffees have a series of right-footed wide men, so a left-footer in Brooks that can play from either wing would add a new dimension.

After a year out his value could have taken a hit and with Bournemouth currently in the bottom three, the Cherries could struggle to keep hold of him.

Ugurcan Cakir

Despite retaining his spot as the England number one for the past few seasons, Jordan Pickford has never fully convinced in an Everton shirt.

Some feel the 26-year-old has seen his form dip this season in particular and Cakir's displays for Trabzonspor have alerted Everton, Roma, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, according to reports in Italy.

According to Trabzonspor president Ahmet Agaoglu the club have received a £17.5m bid from Roma for his services, which could make things difficult for Everton.

However, with the full impact of the global economic situation yet to become clear, it is tough to predict what kind of competition Everton could face for his signature if they decide to make a bid.