Richard Keys and Andy Gray reckon handing Benitez control of transfers could be disastrous
Everton are set to part ways with Director of Football Marcel Brands amid their poor run of form, and Rafa Benitez will now take control of transfers.
Richard Keys is not happy with that development, though, insisting on beIN SPORT today (5 December) that handing the Spaniard the recruitment process for incoming players could turn out to be a disaster.
Brands and Steve Walsh were responsible for the bulk of transfer businesses the Toffees have done since owner Farhad Moshiri took over in 2016, but Benitez will now take charge of things.
Andy Gray said (as shown via their official Twitter account): “He’s culpable for a lot. He’s spent millions, he’s brought in players that so far, the majority of them, have proven not to be good enough.
Keys replied: “He’s been part of the process. He’s not singularly to blame. Where I think this is not good news is that Rafa Benitez will have sole control of the transfers were he to stay.
“And that is the very reason why Valencia sacked him, that Liverpool ultimately sacked him and that he fell out with Mike Ashley because Ashley resisted his demands to have total control on transfers. This changes nothing.”
Risky?
Everton should be punching above their weights and challenging the top-four had they spent the £500million Moshiri has invested on the squad well.
Things got so bad in the summer that Financial Fair Play restrictions barred them from being able to splash the cash, with only £1.7million spent on transfers.
It remains to be seen if that will change next month, but Benitez will be calling the shots in the transfer market and bringing in players he only wants.
Should he remain at Goodison Park till next summer, the Everton boss will most likely be taking charge too, and it will be interesting to see how he goes about things.
While Moshiri has the cash to splash, FFP restrictions could prove to be a stumbling block to Benitez’s plans.
He will be keen to prove that he can help turn the fortunes of the club around going forward, and he has been given the chance to do so with Brands on his way out.
Benitez now needs to prove Keys and other detractors wrong.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are plotting January loan-to-buy bid for centre-mid hailed by Jack Grealish last month.
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