One player that certainly would have transformed Evertons fortunes was Dutchman Rafael Van der Vaart. Back in 2009 he was plying his trade at the Santiago Bernabeau for Spanish giants Real Madrid. The club had deemed he was surplus to requirements and Everton quickly contacted his lawyer, learning that the player was keen on the move. All was seemingly going well for the Blues as he wasnt assigned a squad number by he manager, however the Spanish club suddenly decided to sell Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Klass-Jan Huntelaar in one fell swoop, making space for the talented Dutchman and putting an end to any potential move to Goodison Park. He later joined Tottenham Hotspur for a cut price £8m, and scored 24 goals in 63 league games for the London side, with nine assists in his first season, making himself a firm fan favourite at White Hart Lane. Had he joined the Blues, they would have finally had the attacking midfielder the club had craved until the emergence of Ross Barkley last year, while it is hard to imagine he wouldnt have built a formidable relationship with Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill in Evertons midfield. Sadly it wasnt to be, leaving Everton ruing a failed transfer deal that would have been one of their best ever.
