Everton have been notorious big spenders since Farhad Moshiri's takeover, but it must be noted that much of the funds have come from major sales.

Nurturing talent and selling on for a huge profit has been a staple of the Toffees' continued presence in the Premier League, but the arrival of the Iranian billionaire was intended to put them in a far strong position to retain these assets to build a team around.

Despite that, he has overseen the sales of the likes of Ross Barkley, Romelu Lukaku, John Stones and more recently Richarlison to keep the club compliant with financial fair play.

It was the sale of the English central defender amongst that list that was particularly frustrating given how hard the club and fanbase fought to ward off his departure, with Evertonians even creating an affectionate chant which read: "Money can't buy you Stones."

Whilst Manchester City's money eventually did tempt them to part ways, it still marked an incredible profit from when he had first been signed.

How much profit did Everton make on John Stones?

Brought in from Barnsley as a youngster in 2013, the 28-year-old quickly matured into a first-team regular who was desperate to play out from the back, sometimes to his detriment.

The £3m fee was inconsequential, especially given how rapidly he became an important figure for various managers.

His range of passing was impressive, and he boasted a youthful arrogance that allowed him to take risks in order to break the passing lines. He was a defender built for a Pep Guardiola system, so when they offered £47.5m in 2016 it was an offer Moshiri felt he could not refuse.

Stones has since won the Premier League on four occasions, as well as four EFL Cups and an FA Cup too.

His decision to depart Goodison Park was admittedly a wise one, given the respective trajectories of both club and player since. Even former professional footballer Paul Dickov recognised the 6 foot 2 titan as "immense" for the Sky Blues.

The disparity between his initial purchase and the eventual sale did offer up a 1483% profit, yet still, the club have remained financially hamstrung in recent years.

Perhaps Everton need to return to this former transfer model should they achieve safety, rather than being dazzled by the big-money purchases which have put them in the mess they find themselves in.