Marcel Brands was the driving force behind Everton’s pursuit of Manchester United and Premier League misfit Donny Van de Beek with ESPN reporting that Rafa Benitez has ‘reservations’ about the Dutchman.
With Van de Beek desperately attempting to breathe some life into his Old Trafford career, he really could have done without Aaron Wan Bissaka’s ill-timed day-dreaming.
A mix up between Wan Bissaka and United’s luckless £35 million man gifted BSC Young Boys an equaliser during Ralf Rangnick’s second game in charge of Man United in midweek.
And despite producing a performance full of desire and ferocious tenacity – rarely have we seen a player so desperate to impress his new boss – it would be a surprise to see Van de Beek included in Rangnick’s starting XI when Norwich City come to town on Saturday afternoon.
Is an Everton move now off for Donny van de Beek?
Unfortunately for the one-time Ajax star, his future now looks more uncertain than at any point since he arrived in Manchester last summer.
Everton were expected to renew their interest in Van de Beek during the winter but, according to ESPN, the sudden departure of Marcel Brands has changed all that.
The one-time PSV director, was keen to bring his compatriot to Goodison Park, having seen an approach rejected by then-United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in August.
Brands even confirmed, at the time, that Van de Beek was ‘on our list’.
Now, the former Everton chief never really saw eye-to-eye with Rafa Benitez and Everton’s pursuit of Van de Beek appears to have been one of the factors driving a wedge between director and coach.
Benitez, ESPN claims, did not share Brands’ admiration for a man who’s played just over an hour of Premier League football all season long.
Everton are prioritising a new central midfielder heading into January. Financial Fair Play restrictions mean that a short-term loan deal would probably have been Everton’s only chance of securing Van de Beek in January anyway.
Before packing his things and heading for the exit, Brands also ruled out a Goodison Park switch for Sardar Azmoun and Aleksandr Golovin.
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