Everton appear to have successfully fended off interest in Director of Football Marcel Brands after the latest news on his current contract situation emerged.
According to reports from The Athletic, the influential transfer guru at Goodison Park is set to extend his stay with the Toffees for an unspecified length of time despite interest from continental clubs and English stalwarts Manchester United. The Old Trafford club are reportedly ‘mulling over a restructure’ and are ‘searching for a director of football to split the responsibilities of chief executive Ed Woodward’.
Meanwhile, Brands had also been firmly in the sights of Serie A giants AS Roma, although their interest has since cooled.
Previous reports had indicated that any extension to his time on Merseyside would not be a prospect on the agenda of the Everton board until at least the new year, despite the fact that the Dutchman’s tenure with the club is currently due to conclude at the end of this season.
Moreover, any extension was said to be dependent on the current relationship enjoyed between Brands and manager Carlo Ancelotti, with the latter being tipped to be a beneficiary of the Dutchman’s potential departure. Ancelotti would have seen an increased level of power and control over the transfer directions of the club in Brands’ stead.
Brands boasts a strong track record in delivering proven transfer success, having secured some standout names in world football for the Toffees. The signings of Allan and James Rodriguez, joining from Napoli and Real Madrid respectively, are just some of the most recent additions to the Toffees’ squad secured under Brands’ tenure.
Read Everton Verdict
Despite huge interest elsewhere, retaining Brands would be a fantastic statement of intent by the Merseyside club.
His recent track record in securing targets is indicative of the persuasive ability and efficient operations he has helped to deliver in the transfer market.
Losing him, and failing to secure an adequate replacement, could prove to be a major setback in future Everton endeavours.
