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The July cover of Everton’s official monthly magazine paints a rather idyllic image.

It shows Gerard Deulofeu and Tom Cleverley, resplendent in full strip complete with beaming smiles, stood before a glorious blue sky amid the lush green fields of Finch Farm.

‘Chosen Ones’ booms the headline. It could just as easily read ‘Only Ones’

With a little over a week until the new Premier League season, Deulofeu and Cleverley remain the only new (first-team) faces to have arrived at Goodison Park this summer.

A graphic produced by Sky Sports, and shared across social media, this week shows that Everton have, so far, spent less on transfers since the end of last season than any other top-flight club. The £4.2m deal for Deulofeu may represent something of a coup, but is yet to be followed up by further quality additions.

No sign yet, then, of the left-footed centre back and creative attacking midfielder that Roberto Martinez has been craving. Instead, there is a stagnant feel. Evertonians have spent June and July looking anxiously at the papers, wondering if one or more of their star names could be about to depart.

Forget the outs, where are the ins?

John Stones, of course, is the man taking up column inches at present.

And while Everton must, if they have any genuine ambition to challenge English football’s established order any time soon, resist interest from Chelsea, Manchester City or elsewhere for the young defender, they must not take their eye off an equally important task in the next few weeks – improving their squad.

The signings of Deulofeu and Cleverley were a good start to the summer; two young, versatile players whom Martinez both knows and trusts, neither of whom broke the bank.

But with just nine days until the Blues’ opening league fixture against Watford, the feeling remains that Everton lack both numbers and quality going into the new season.

Sure, the first XI is, on paper at least, as strong as ever. The likes of Stones, Deulofeu, Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku should all be better this season than they were last, if their development continues as expected.

But scratch the surface, and the cracks are clear.

Where, for example, is the central defensive cover that Martinez has admitted he needs? Where is the creative attacking midfielder he has been so eager to sign? Can the likes of Arouna Kone, Bryan Oviedo. Darron Gibson, Aiden McGeady and Steven Pienaar really be relied on to a) stay fit or b) perform consistently over a long period?

Valid questions, all. The transfer market is too often held up as a solution to a club’s problems, but if depth can be the difference between a decent season and a successful one, then Everton are short at present.

The late show?

Of course in many ways, such concerns are nothing new at Goodison. Every year, it seems, they head into the season a couple of players short, before delving into the market as the transfer window prepares to close.

It’s worked in the past. The likes of Lukaku, James McCarthy, Gareth Barry, Marouane Fellaini and Sylvain Distin were all deadline day arrivals which turned out well. As a strategy, though, it is high-risk, relying on both the club’s ability to land the right players, and the players’ ability to adapt quickly and successfully.

Martinez, we know, remains keen to add at least two new faces to his squad before the window closes on 1 September. He needs at least one more central defender – regardless of what happens with Stones – and another creative presence in midfield. Those who have watched Kone’s pre-season performances so far would certainly add a striker to the list, too.

Will they get them? Time will tell, but time goes fast at this time of year.

There is no doubt that the Premier League is a rich place at present, with the money from the new TV deal swishing round it.

If the likes of West Brom, Crystal Palace and Norwich can spend, then surely so can Everton? Make no mistake, they need to.