Marcel Brands explains Everton’s summer transfer business and COVID difficulties
Everton Director of Football Marcel Brands has explained the Toffees’ movements in the summer transfer market as the club’s accounts were released.
The Toffees signed several big-name players in the summer in an effort to improve Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
Brands, speaking in Everton’s accounts for 2020, said that himself and Ancelotti work ‘very closely’ on transfers and detailed the difficulty of signing quality players during a global pandemic.
Brands wrote, “The overall objective was to sign players who would immediately improve the team – immediately be capable of stepping into the starting line-up to enhance the balance and quality of the side.”
“Recruitment is more difficult when you are looking for players ready to improve the first team immediately. Those difficulties increased this year because of the coronavirus pandemic and the uncertainty that brought for so many clubs and so many leagues.
“Carlo, myself, the owner and the Board worked very closely to ensure our plan was in place well in advance of the transfer window opening.”
Summer signings James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure have all been regular starters since they arrived at Goodison Park and were clearly signed with Brands’ desires in mind.
While results haven’t quite been going Everton’s way in recent weeks, those summer signings are still performing well with players signed before Ancelotti’s arrival proving to be the problem.
The club’s desire to have transfer business done early is a really positive thing to maintain as it allows the club to avoid bidding wars and any late transfer window worries.
It remains to be seen if the Toffees will look to sign any new players in the upcoming January transfer window but with these comments about getting business done early, could something already be in the pipeline?
Any new signings, of course, would have to improve Ancelotti’s side but with Everton’s recent transfer record, any new signings should be welcomed with open arms.
In other Everton news, Kevin Campbell has questioned why Niels Nkounkou hasn’t been included in recent Toffees squads.