Report shares Rafa Benitez reason for Everton not signing a right-back
Rafa Benitez was unwilling to let Everton splurge in the summer on right-backs that he was not convinced about, according to the Liverpool Echo.
Everton made just three outfield signings in the recent transfer window, all coming at the attacking end with striker Salomon Rondon joining on deadline day to add to wingers Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray.
PSV’s Denzel Dumfries and Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles were heavily linked with a Goodison Park switch, but deals for both seemed to fall down due to the Blues desire for loans rather than permanent transfers.
It seems there were even more names discussed by the club, as Phil Kirkbride writes for the Liverpool Echo.
“Several names were discussed by the club during the window with Matt Doherty, Serge Aurier and Hector Bellerin all known to be available but Benitez was not prepared to let the club commit to wages on players he was not fully convinced about,” Kirkbride wrote.
Aurier available
It remains to be seen whether Benitez’s decision will come back to bite the Blues.
On the one hand, the Spaniard should be praised for not wanting to waste money as previous managers have done.
It seems like the club were not prepared to offer big fees for Maitland-Niles and Dumfries or, more likely, they were being hamstrung by FFP.
As such, moves for unwanted right-backs who would cost nothing or very little would have piqued their interest.
Doherty [Tottenham Hostpur and Republic of Ireland] and Bellerin [Arsenal and Spain] have both fallen out of favour in north London and thus were available.
The former will now be staying at Spurs until January at least while Bellerin joined Real Betis on loan before the transfer window shut.
Ivory Coast defender Aurier, meanwhile, saw his Spurs deal terminated earlier this week and thus he could still seal a move to Merseyside as a free agent.
That may well be something Benitez revisits if Seamus Coleman suffers an injury in the coming weeks and months.
In other Everton news, a world-famous international player has called this Blues star a ‘clown’ on Instagram.
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