BRANDS IS WRITE ON

Benitez big Rambo fan despite cost He pens good luck letter to Rafa’s stars

BY SIMON MULLOCK EVERTON remain keen on Aaron Ramsey despite being told it will cost them £42million in wages.

Juventus are desperate to get Ramsey’s £230,000-a-week salary off their wage bill next month and will allow him to leave on a free to get the deal done.

But the Wales star (left), 31 on Boxing Day, still has 18 months left on the £12m-ayear contract he signed when he joined on a free transfer from Arsenal in 2019.

He will not be forced out unless he gets a pay-off or finds another club willing to match his earnings – plus a contract through to the summer of 2025.

Everton boss Rafa Benitez is driving the bid to bring in Ramsey while Newcastle and West Ham are also keeping an eye on developments.

EXCLUSIVE

EVERTON’S former director of football Marcel Brands has written to members of Rafa Benitez’s squad to wish them luck for the rest of the season.

Brands, 59, parted company with the Toffees after three-and-a-half years last weekend when owner Farhad Moshiri opted to hand Benitez the power to buy and sell players.

But the Dutchman felt he needed to explain his departure to some of the players he took to Goodison Park.

And he urged them to do their best to turn Everton’s season around before they came from behind to beat Arsenal on Monday night.

A dressing room source said: “Marcel was sad to leave the club, but it says a lot about him that he felt the best thing to do for Everton was to step down.

“He wrote to the players to wish them all the best for this season and longer term because he had been instrumental in bringing some of them to the club.

“It was a nice gesture – and it was really appreciated.”

Everton face a trip to Crystal Palace with their season in the balance after a run which had seen them fall down the table after taking just two points from eight games.

Andros Townsend, the former England winger who joined the Toffees in the summer after five years at Selhurst Park, believes Demarai Gray’s brilliant late winner against the Gunners will prove a turning point.

Townsend said: “It just gives everyone a huge lift. When you are not winning football matches, but coming into training every day, it’s tough.

“You just need any win, whether you deserve it or not, whether it’s in the first or the last minute. Just get a win to breathe new life into the squad.

“When you get that first win, especially in those circumstances, against Arsenal, who are a top side, in the last second of the game, it galvanises everyone.

“It’s a weight off our shoulders and we can now go into the next game with confidence and look to build on that.”

Townsend played 185 times for the Eagles following his arrival from Newcastle in a £13million deal in 2016.

But he was allowed to leave the club by Patrick Vieira when the Frenchman succeeded Roy Hodgson in the summer. Townsend does not bear any grudges. He added: “It’s going to be emotional going back to Palace. I spent large parts of my career there. If I could choose where they could finish in the table, it would be one place below Everton.

“They have been very good under Vieira. I spoke to a couple of the players and from day one they were impressed with him.

“The club has brought in some incredible players and replaced the oldguard – people like myself !

“They’ve replaced them really well and are heading on the right track.

“They haven’t been picking up points recently, but their performances have been incredible. They’ve been unlucky.”