Everton dispatched Southampton 3-0 at Goodison Park on Monday to kick off 2017 with three points in the Premier League.

Ronald Koeman’s men could only manage a 2-2 draw away at relegation-threatened Hull in their final match of 2016, but started the New Year off in clinical fashion as goals from Enner Valencia, Leighton Baines, and Romelu Lukaku sealed a comfortable win over Koeman’s former employers.

It means that the Toffees sit seventh in the Premier League table having won eight of their 20 matches, but their recent run of form, which has seen them win three of their last five games, will give the Goodison Park faithful hope that they can bridge the gap between themselves and the European places.

Koeman’s men are currently nine points behind sixth place Manchester United, and may need to strengthen in the January transfer window to challenge the top six sides.

Everton have had varying success in previous winter windows, but here are their TOP THREE January signings since the winter window was introduced 14 years ago…

Tim Howard

Tim Howard was Sir Alex Ferguson’s number one at Manchester United in the 2003/04 season, but made just 27 appearances the season after before they signed Edwin van der Sar from Fulham in 2005.

Thus, American international Howard became a surplus to requirements at Old Trafford, making just six appearances in the 2005/06 campaign before joining Everton on loan the following season.

And, in the winter window of 2007, Howard signed permanently for the Toffees, and went to play 414 times for the Merseyside club before leaving Goodison Park last year.

Howard was an excellent servant to the club during his ten-year stay, but saw first team opportunities reduce last season, and hence returned to the United States in the summer to play for MLS side Colorado Rapids.

John Stones

Englishman John Stones had only broken into the Barnsley team six months before being snapped up by Everton in January 2013.

Yet David Moyes clearly saw potential in the young defender, and signed him for a paltry £3 million.

And, 95 appearances and countless good performances later, Stones went to Manchester City for a stunning £47.5 million last year, with his style of football from the centre of defence clearly matching that of new City boss Pep Guardiola.

Nonetheless, Stones certainly improved as a defender in his time at Goodison Park, and owes a lot of his future success to his spell on Merseyside.

Mikel Arteta

Arguably Everton’s best bit of January business was bringing in midfielder Mikel Arteta from Real Sociedad in 2005.

It was initially a loan deal, but his excellent displays in the midfield, a position vacated by Real Madrid-bound Thomas Gravesen, saw the Toffees sign him permanently in the summer of 2005.

And, from then on, Arteta was a mainstay in David Moyes’ team, playing a total of 209 games for Everton, scoring 34 goals.

The Spaniard was twice Player of the Season while at Goodison Park, and indeed the Players’ Player of the Season in 2005/06, and will certainly go down as one of their best January buys.