Or 2+ months after both the manager and Director of Football said we 'know our targets'
Yeah madness....
I've known I want to make sweet love to Liv Tyler for about 20 years and I am still no closer.
Zouma's - or rather Chelsea's - situation is well-publicised so that was always going to be a big "wait and see", and we're probably holding off on moving for a Plan B or C until we have a definitive answer.
Gomes is on holiday. Simple as. It may well be - and this is pure speculation - that all is agreed and it has been decided among all parties that the deal will be completed once he has had a rest.
As for other targets, there are always fees to be agreed, personal terms and agents' fees, etc. If the selling clubs haven't finalised THEIR list of targets yet, it delays whatever business we want to do with them.
I want to see signings, too, and I know we've got previous for dragging our heels but I think it's a bit early to be calling this as proper Everton behaviour just yet.
Also, just to pre-empt the "but Real have signed 17 players for 30 squillion quid" argument - They're Real Madrid. They tap up players behind the scenes who invariably agitate for a move; fees and wages involved are typically astronomical and serve to grease the wheels when it comes to sellers having no backup in place yet. Sadly, we lack both the pull of the Real brand and the crazy money they're chucking about.