So far, the Toffees have only scored eight goals in the league – only the current bottom three sides have scored fewer.

But this was perhaps bound to happen. Under David Moyes, Everton have never been particularly free and the team is arguably much better at defending than it is at attacking.

This week, there have been some tentative links to Marcus Rashford, which is sure to divide opinion. But one wonders if something Moyes did when he was a youngster might help bring a move to fruition.

What David Moyes did that might help bring Marcus Rashford to Everton

Over the weekend, Football Transfers reported that Everton have held discussions with Manchester United over a possible move for Rashford.

The report claims that Rashford’s time is expected to come to an end next summer, but that he could move on in the mid-season window.

Talks have been held between Everton and United, but those talks are supposedly still at a very early stage. There is no word on whether the Toffees could land him permanently or on loan.

But it’s an intriguing prospect, given Rashford has obviously scored quite a lot of goals in the Premier League – 89 in 303 appearances to be exact.

What’s also intriguing is that Moyes came across Rashford when he was Manchester United manager in 2013, and one encounter with the Scot left a big impression on the forward.

Recounting the time Moyes invited him to train with the United first-team, Rashford said (ESPN via Manchester Evening News): “It was under David Moyes, and it was a group of us that went over.

“It was an amazing feeling. I remember the training session: We didn’t actually touch the ball. We were just doing shape and stuff like that. But then we go back to our own age group, and what you learned from that little 15 or 20 minutes is priceless as a young academy player.

“Those moments really do start to add up, and when you start training with them more regularly, you pick up more things, more things to learn from. That’s how you become a first-team player.

“It was unbelievable. It’s little things like that, those experiences, that you might not get in other academies at such a young age.”

It was perhaps a small thing in the grand scheme, but at the time of those quotes from 2019, Rashford clearly valued it quite a lot.

One wonders if his respect for Moyes and that gesture all those years ago may now come into play, as Everton show interest in the forward. Everton clearly need additional firepower and Rashford is a proven scorer at Premier League level, and the player certainly has the feel of needing a fresh start.

Potentially though, wages could be a problem for Everton.