Brands departs Merseyside

Marcel Brands, Everton’s Director of Football, is set to leave the Club three and a half years after joining from Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven.

Everton Football Club can confirm that Marcel Brands has left his post as Director of Football.

— Everton (@Everton) December 5, 2021

In an official statement, the Toffees wrote:

Everton Football Club can confirm that Marcel Brands has left his post as Director of Football.

Brands joined Everton from PSV Eindhoven in June 2018 and was appointed to the Club’s Board in 2019.

The Owner and Directors would like to thank Marcel for the service he has given to the Club over the past three and a half years and wish him well for his future.

A strategic review of the football structure will now take place which will inform the best model for the Club to proceed with in the long-term.

In the meantime, the Owner and Board of Directors will continue to provide our manager, Rafa Benitez, with their full support.

Having spent £270 million in the transfer windows since on 21 players, Everton are arguably worse off than when Brands joined the club.

101 takes a look at every single transfer that the Director of Football oversaw, and how they have left the club.

*Note: All prices are taken from transfermarkt.co.uk*

The Good

Richarlison (2018: £35 million)

Probably the best signing made in the Brands era, Richarlison remains one of the few remaining stars in Everton’s side.

Still just 24 years old, he has dovetailed nicely with homegrown talent Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the pair striking up a good relationship on the pitch.

@richarlison97 pic.twitter.com/pOygYqaYZd

— Everton (@Everton_PT) November 11, 2021

Often deployed out in the wide berths under previous regimes, his goal return is perhaps not what it could be, with 44 goals and 11 assists in 128 games for the Toffees.

However, should they sell the Brazilian, Everton would likely turn a profit, and should they keep him, they have a brilliant player.

Yerry Mina (£27 million)

Another man that has become a cornerstone of Everton’s side, his absence this season has proved just how far he has come to influence the Merseyside outfit.

Signed from Barcelona in the same summer that Richarlison joined, he was initially suspect in some of his defensive work, but has blossomed into a leader at the heart of Everton’s defence and, still only 27, has plenty more to give.

Yerry Mina is one of the best defenders in the league. show the king some respect. pic.twitter.com/Xj6HdZJHxQ

— . (@jayefc_) December 4, 2021

He is also a major asset from set-pieces, scoring 6 times in his 83 appearances so far for the club.

Lucas Digne (£18 million)

Filling the shoes of Leighton Baines was always going to be a tough ask, but it is one that, for the most part, Lucas Digne has managed.

Signed from Barcelona along with Mina, Digne has showed himself to be a capable, if inconsistent, force down Everton’s left flank, despite a severe drop in his performances so far this season.

For 18 million pounds, Digne has proved an astute signing, and will likely continue to hold down his spot in the Everton side for several years to come.

Kurt Zouma (loan)

Short but sweet. Kurt Zouma joined the club on loan from Chelsea in 2018, and played 32 times in the Premier League for the Toffees. The Frenchman helped Everton to an eighth-placed finish, just three points outside Wolves and the European places, but an agreement could not be reached with the London club for a permanent move.

Given his career since, maybe Brands and co. should have tried harder.

Allan (£22.5 million)

It is hard to see this as solely a Brands move, with it having the underlying context of Carlo Ancelotti becoming Everton boss, but signing Allan from Napoli in 2020 was nonetheless an exciting move.

Allan has impressed in Everton colours, his tough tackling and no-nonsense approach giving the side some much-needed backbone in the engine room.

Now 30 years old, he will not have too much resale value, but has certainly showed his value to Everton over the first season and a half of his Merseyside stint.

Abdoulaye Doucoure (£20 million)

It is no coincidence that Everton’s plummeting form this season has coincided with Abdoulaye Doucoure’s injury. The Frenchman, signed alongside Allan, has impressed since his move to Merseyside.

Most assists in the Premier League this season:

1⃣ Mo Salah – 8
2⃣ Paul Pogba – 7
3⃣ Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7
4⃣ Mateo Kovacic – 5
5⃣ Gabriel Jesus – 5
6⃣ Emmanuel Dennis – 5
7⃣ Reece James – 4
8⃣ Abdoulaye Doucoure – 4
9⃣ Jarrod Bowen – 4
Ashley Westwood – 3

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 30, 2021

Operating in a box to box role for the Toffees, his energy in the midfield has been sorely missed by Benitez and co. and still just 28 years old, he is expected to hold that role for years to come.

Certainly among the most successful transfers made in this era.

Demarai Gray (£1.8 million)

From the most successful to the most surprising, eyebrows were raised when Demarai Gray returned to England after a short spell in Germany for a measly fee of 1.8 million pounds.

However, he has been brilliant, with the 25 year old having scored 4 and assisted a further 2 in 14 games thus far.

The pass from @abdoudoucoure16
The finish from @22Demarai pic.twitter.com/YndO7xutIz

— Everton (@Everton) September 13, 2021

Still young, he represents the sort of business that Everton should be carrying out more often, even if it was brought about by financial fair play restrictions. Now kicking his career back into gear, Gray can either continue to excel for Everton, or be sold on for massive profit. On and off the pitch, it is a win-win.

Djibril Sidibe (loan)

4 assists in 28 Premier League games from Djibril Sidibe should probably have earned him a permanent move to Merseyside, especially given the fullback problems at present. For 19/20, however, he represents a successful loan.

Sometimes caught out defensively, he nonetheless was a solid option who could have provided a good option and was able to chip in going forwards too. Kurt Zouma 2.0?

Bernard (Free)

Signed for free and sold for (albeit minimal) profit, it is hard to put a man who made 84 appearances for the club anywhere other than good. Woefully inconsistent, he nonetheless was a hard worker and ultimately, should never have been a first choice, as his return of just 8 goals and 7 assists in those appearances demonstrate.

Utterly forgettable, Bernard will probably be a player that causes headaches in pub quizzes for years to come, but he served a purpose, and set the club back little.

Robin Olsen (loan) and Asmir Begovic (FREE)

Signed in successive seasons in order to provide backup (euphemistically termed “competition”) to Jordan Pickford, neither did too much right nor wrong, but largely filled their purpose for a minimal fee. Have to be considered relative successes.

The Bad

Fabian Delph (£8.5 million)

The sole positive of the Fabian Delph move from an Everton standpoint is that it was one of the cheaper moves on this list.

I honestly think Fabian Delph is the worst ever Everton signing

— CJ (@cjparkend) October 29, 2021

He has flattered to deceive, and has only played in 5 of Everton’s 14 games so far this season, despite injuries to Andre Gomes and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Now 32 years old, his contract expires in 2022, and most Everton fans will not be too heartbroken should he not extend his stay on Merseyside.

Andre Gomes (£22.5 million)

It feels harsh to put Andre Gomes, yet another signing from Barcelona, in the bad section. Much of his problems have been luck, suffering a serious injury that sidelined him for the best part of a season.

But, he has since struggled for game-time. Further injury has limited him to just 3 appearances this season, and it is hard to see where he gets back into the side. Now 28-years-old, should he be able to put his injuries aside he could still have potential at Goodison Park, but for now, it cannot be considered a good signing.

James Rodriguez (free)

Another man who joined the Carlo Ancelotti hype train at Goodison Park, James started the season on fire with six goal contributions in six Premier League games.

It was all downhill from there however, and James struggled before departing the club just 12 months after joining, costing the club a significant chunk on wages.

26 appearances later, the Toffees were firmly back down to earth.

The Ugly

Jean-Philippe Gbamin (£22.5 million)

The first of several expensive signings that haven’t panned out, Gbamin joined the club with a lot of expectation on his shoulders after the departure of Idrissa Gueye in the Everton engine room.

However, as with Andre Gomes, injuries have ruined any chance of success on Merseyside.

In over two years, he has made just six appearances for Everton, representing a terrible return on investment. While not his fault, he has to go down as one of the worst signings in the club’s recent history.

Of course, he still has time to turn it around: at 26 years old, his Everton career is not over, but it needs to kick into gear soon.

Moise Kean (£24.75 million)

Moise Kean, joining in 2020 from Juventus, is already back in Turin after an altogether disastrous move.

The Italian youngster has departed Everton on a two-year loan with an obligation to buy, after joining the club for 24.75 million pounds and making just 39 appearances on Merseyside.

Four goals and 2 assists in that time did little to endear him to the Blues faithful, but from a business point of view, it was an awful move.

Alex Iwobi (£27 million)

The Liverpool Echo report that this was not a Marcel Brands signing, but nonetheless he has to go down as one of the most disastrous signings of his reign.

Inside story of Marcel Brands exit and who controls transfers now after Everton power struggle

Special report by our #EFC correspondent @philkechohttps://t.co/PXjInikgzR

— Everton FC News (@LivEchoEFC) December 5, 2021

Arsenal fans could scarcely believe their eyes when the bid came in for the Nigerian, who was failing to impress in Red and White.

Safe to say, he has flattered to deceive in Evertonian Blue either. 78 appearances have yielded six goals and five assists. Not what they thought they were buying when they agreed on the deal.

Pushed out of the side by Andros Towsend and Demarai Gray this season, it is hard to see where his Everton career goes from here, and should they move him on, they will have to accept a hefty loss on the Arsenal academy graduate.

Josh King (N/A)

It’s hard to say that this is a bad deal from a business point of view, with Josh King a very capable forward in his own right. However, he could not make his way into the Everton first team, and made only 6 appearances.

Josh King didn’t make a single start for Everton and is now without a club pic.twitter.com/1EPsBSnumj

— GOAL (@goal) June 29, 2021

Departing for free in the summer, he came back to haunt the Toffees in a major way, netting a hat-trick against his former club for new side Watford six weeks ago.

11 appearances for Everton all off the bench last season. 0 goals.

A hat-trick today for Watford against the Toffees.

Some performance from Josh King! pic.twitter.com/N0k0eltNix

— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) October 23, 2021

As narratives around signings go, Josh King’s is an impressive one.

Jury still out

Ben Godfrey (£25 million)

Ben Godfrey has only been at Everton for just over a season, and at 23 years old is certainly one for the future as much as for the present.

Having been asked to play all the way across the back four, and at wing-back, during his time at Goodison Park, he is threatening to develop into a very good defender.

Ben Godfrey for Everton vs. Man Utd:

◉ Most duels won (8)
◉ Most clearances (6)
◉ Most tackles (4)

Solid performance at RB. pic.twitter.com/pdJlptQ10i

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 2, 2021

What he needs now, however, is stability. A run of games at wherever the hierarchy thinks that his best position is would do the youngster a world of good. Should he realise his potential, he will head straight up into one of the better signings made in recent years.

Andros Townsend (Free) and Salomon Rondon (Free)

Both Andros Townsend and Salomon Rondon joined the club on free transfers this summer, and have made a combined 24 appearances thus far this season. Of the pair, Townsend has been far more impressive, while Rondon has failed to find the net as of yet in Calvert-Lewin’s absence.

However, at 30 and 32 years old respectively, both are unlikely to stay for the long run, and are more signings that plugged gaps in the squad rather than that make the starting XI significantly better. The jury remains out.

Everton fans, do you disagree with any of these?

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