In late July 2016, The Sun reported then-Everton manager Ronald Koeman had his heart set on bringing two Premier League players to Goodison Park – Ashley Williams and Wojciech Szczesny.
Two weeks later Williams was heading through the door, posing for photographs in front of the Gwladys Street End after completing a move from Swansea City.
Szczesny, however, would have to wait another 12 months before leaving Arsenal on a full-time basis.
But Everton wasn’t his destination.
After losing his place to Petr Cech, the Poland international returned to Italy for a second spell on loan at Roma instead before joining Juventus for a fee in the region of £10 million one year later.
And, as Szczesny stepped into the shoes of the legendary Gianluigi Buffon in Turin while lifting three Serie A titles, Everton must have thought one of the finest shot-stoppers in Europe had slipped through their grasp for good.
But perhaps not.
A lot has changed at Everton since 2016. Ronald Koeman and Steve Walsh are long gone, with Carlo Ancelotti and Marcel Brands in their place. But it seems their admiration for the straight-talking, 31-year-old glovesman remains unchanged.
TuttoJuve reports Everton are about to revive their interest in Szczesny – although they are unwilling to gift Juve too much profit on a player who came under fire for high-profile blunders in the derby with Torino and that fateful Champions League exit at the hands of FC Porto.
Szczesny may not have hit the heights set by Buffon during his trophy-laden spell with the Old Lady but, if you ignore the odd mistake, he came pretty close.
And while Jordan Pickford has enjoyed a late-season resurgence in recent weeks, Szczesny could represent an upgrade on the erratic England international.
Perhaps, just perhaps, Ancelotti and Brands could achieve something Koeman and Walsh failed to do five years ago.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
