Howard Kendall hopes to busy himself with a sustained bout of pre-Christmas buying and selling this week.
Before Saturday's visit to Leeds United, the Everton manager could well have sold England international defender Andy Hinchcliffe to West Ham and convinced the veteran Rangers forward Ally McCoist that he should move south on loan.
There is also an outside chance that Kendall will have struck a deal with the other half of Glasgow's Old Firm, Celtic, for the former England Under-21 striker Tommy Johnson.
Kendall is now ready to sell Hinchcliffe just two months after the much-coveted utility player signed a vastly-improved, four-year contract. But Kendall has so little cash available he has accepted that the concept of selling before he can buy is likely to become the norm rather than the exception.
Last week, he reluctantly sanctioned the sale of Graham Stuart to first division Sheffield United in a deal which saw defender Carl Tiler and midfielder Mitch Ward move between Bramall Lane and Goodison Park.
Kendall's current plight is such that, while Hinchcliffe is the only Everton player likely to be named in England's squad for next summer's World Cup finals in France, he is likely to be sold - quickly - for the knockdown price of just £3 million.
With the Merseyside club marooned at the foot of the Premiership table after winning only three of their 16 League fixtures this season, Kendall knows he must flood Goodison Park with new faces or forever be known as the man at the helm when Everton's 44-year-spell in English football's top flight was abruptly ended by relegation.
With Duncan Ferguson starting a three-game suspension after the weekend trip to Elland Road, it is imperative Kendall finds a man with a proven goal scoring record, and, although ageing and injury prone, McCoist, clearly, fits the bill.
McCoist (34), is no longer able to hold down a regular first team place at Ibrox, and only last week the Rangers manager Walter Smith announced that he would be made available on loan.
McCoist would not hesitate to spend some time in the more competitive environment of the English Premiership as he seeks to convince Scotland coach Craig Brown that he should be playing in, rather than commentating on, next summer's events in France.
After tiring of reserve team football, Johnson is similarly anxious to leave Celtic and would likely be sold if any club were to lodge a formal bid of around £2 million.
Across Stanley Park, Liverpool manager Roy Evans has finally settled upon the centre back he would like to bring to Anfield to form a strategic part of another, new-look defence.
Tomas Repka (23), a Sparta Prague defender, is likely to be the subject of a £2.75 million offer in the next few days.
