Everton’s Brands new look
EVERTON owner Farhad Moshiri is bringing in super-agent Mino Raiola to mastermind a Goodison revolution.
Moshiri already has an agreement in principle for PSV Eindhoven’s Marcel Brands to come in as sporting director, and he now wants Raiola’s expertise as one of football’s top deal-makers.
The shake-up is set to include the departure of boss Sam Allardyce, even though he will have 12 months left on the £6million-a-year contract he sealed last November.
Everton’s current director of football Steve Walsh will also leave.
Brands – regarded as one of Holland’s best talent-spotters – is currently sporting director at PSV where he has been responsible for buying players like Gini Wijnaldum, Dries Mertens and Kevin Strootman.
After a 17-year playing career, the Dutchman moved into recruitment and helped Louis van Gaal build a squad at unfashionable AZ Alkmaar that was good enough to be crowned Dutch champions in 2009.
He has long been close to Raiola, whose stable includes Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Mario Balotelli and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Although Moshiri’s first full season at the Goodison helm has not gone to plan, he wants the pair to realise his dream of taking Everton into the Champions League.
The 62-year-old billionaire backed Ronald Koeman with £200m in the transfer market last summer and is prepared to spend big again – even though Brands has a reputation for building teams on small budgets.