Journalist: Significant Everton money concerns, Rafa Benitez was aware
The financial woes of Everton were laid fully bare to Rafa Benitez when he agreed to join this summer, according to Daniel Storey.
Writing for Inews, Storey claims there was no masking the atrocities of the club’s previous failures.
He wrote: “Rafael Benitez knew what he had signed up for. Everton’s spending between 2017 and 2020 – almost £450m on transfer fees and a net spend north of £220m – had caused significant concerns about Financial Fair Play restrictions.”
Tight times
After previous summer splurges, Everton have had to sit tight on their money due to financial restrictions.
The owner’s wealth is well-known, and thus its pretty obvious that the lack of spending has been as a result of a diversion into frugal spending.
Everton have, essentially, been handicapped in the transfer market this year, and it’s forced them to hold onto their key assets and avoid making big moves for reinforcements.
Demarai Gray was the only signing that cost a transfer fee, a pretty paltry £1.7million from Bayer Leverkusen.
Alongside him came free agents Andros Townsend, Salomon Rondon, Andy Lonergan and Asmir Begovic.
It’s likely that only two of those, at most, will be regular members of Benitez’s starting XI for the 2021/22 campaign.
The Spaniard’s first season in charge, therefore, should be viewed in light of the circumstances in front of him.
He may well have known the scenario, but it’s still not an easy task to undertake.
In other Everton news, an agent has shared a major injury development on this big-money Blues player.
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