Everton’s new director of football Marcel Brands has revealed the club are plotting a stunning mass clear-out of their squad over the summer transfer window with a need to sell in order to buy.
The Toffees smashed their highest ever spend in the market last summer thanks to an influx of cash from Farhad Moshiri in the Goodison Park boardroom, but many of the big money signings, such as Davy Klaassen, failed to live up to their price tag.
Twelve months later and with former PSV Eindhoven man Brands on board, the Dutch chief has handed a bombshell to fans hoping to see the same sort of spending, insisting there must be exits before there are any incoming recruits.
He was quoted by the Mirror as saying: “I think first of all, we need also to offload players, to raise money (to spend), and also salary wise.
“(Do Everton need to sell first?) Yes, but it’s not only a money thing. Of course money is also important, but it is also for a coach it is not workable to start with 38 players in your squad.
“(Will Moshiri be investing more money?) No. (he won’t)
“I know it’s hard (to get rid of them), because of the salaries in England – it’s so difficult if the player is not successful, then what do you do? Some of the conversations will not be nice, but it has to be honest.”
Opinion
There is far too much deadwood floating around the corridors of Goodison Park and Brands has realised that there is a desperate need to get rid and cut down on a hugely bloated first team squad. New boss Marco Silva will be itching to get active in the summer transfer market but if the funds for wages, let alone the space for them in the senior side, are not there, then he will not be getting underway any time soon. The plan to sell off a lot of their fringe figures seems an easy fix but as Brands alludes to, the English game is so full of money and offloading them elsewhere, especially abroad, will be a tough task which will need all his negotiating power. Fans of the Toffees should remain patient, for it does not look to be the same exciting summer they saw 12 months ago – even if the big money spending did not go to plan.