Everton believe they have made a statement of intent for the future of their club by capturing England striker Andrew Johnson as their new record signing.
Johnson has cost the Goodison Park club £8.6 million, beating the previous high of £6 million spent by manager David Moyes to bring James Beattie from Southampton in January 2005.
The Johnson fee and the fact Everton expect to win the race to sign Chelsea's Germany international Robert Huth for £5.5 million means they will shatter the Goodison Park summer transfer budget.
It also shows that Everton still see themselves as a big club and need to prove that to their long-suffering fans, who have seen a host of top names slip through the Goodison Park fingers over recent years.
In previous seasons they had tried to sign Michael Owen, Mikael Forssell, Dirk Kuyt, Milan Baros and Craig Bellamy and failed on each occasion. But this time they have not pulled out when the bidding war got hotter, and an Everton source added: "We have found the money from somewhere."
New Chelsea recruit Salomon Kalou consulted the club's former manager Ruud Gullit before signing for the Premiership champions.
The Ivory Coast-born striker signed from Dutch club Feyenoord on a three-year deal having completed a medical and agreed personal terms.
An undisclosed fee has been agreed with the Dutch club for a striker, who has scored 35 goals in 67 games over the last two seasons, plus four in seven Uefa Cup appearances.
"Of course I asked Ruud Gullit about Chelsea and I told him too I am proud I can follow at Chelsea in his footsteps. He is the one that gave me the chance at Feyenoord after all."
Kalou was born in Ivory Coast but failed in a bid to obtain Dutch nationality in order to play for Holland at this summer's World Cup.
Arsene Wenger looks certain to turn down his latest opportunity to revive the fortunes of Real Madrid. The Arsenal manager has again become a pawn in yet another Spanish political football battle after one of the candidates in Real Madrid's latest presidential elections revealed Wenger would be his first choice to run the show at the Bernabeu.
On this occasion it is former world champion rally driver Carlos Sainz who says he wants to bring Wenger to the club. But the Frenchman revealed earlier this season he has turned down Real's advances, as well as those of their rivals Barcelona, several times.
Glenn Roeder has distanced himself from a move for Sol Campbell, with the Arsenal centre-back's age being one of the factors why the Newcastle manager would not pursue a transfer.
Roeder said: "He is a very talented central defender, and I'm very aware of his ability. But I have to say Sol is not a player I am interested in signing. The crux of the matter is that if we are to sign another central defender, I would be looking to sign a younger player."
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