Everton will look to sell about a dozen players this summer

Everton ushered in a new era with Director of Football Marcel Brands and manager Marco Silva, and the pair will be looking to get a fresh start with a massive clear out this summer.

The Mirror are reporting that Brands is going to be looking to drastically reduce the 38-man squad he has been handed to work with before seeking new signings in key areas that he and Silva have identified.

Speaking during a separate interview after the official unveiling yesterday, Brands revealed that majority shareholder Farad Moshiri would not necessarily be handing the new duo a huge transfer kitty this summer.

“No. (he won’t). I think first of all, we need also to offload players, to raise money (to spend), and also salary wise.

“Yes (Everton will sell to buy), but it’s not only a money thing. Of course money is also important, but it is also for a coach it is not workable to start with 38 players in your squad.

“I think we have to look for a squad Marco can work with and I think there always has to be space for young players to come to the first team.”

He went on to explain what he thought was the ideal squad size and make up.

“Let’s say players 25-30. But now there are 38 players and a lot of them are not young players any more. They are arrived players.

“We have to be honest when we take the decision with these players, do they have prospects here at Everton? Because yeah, some of the conversations will not be nice, but it has to be honest.”

Brands’ vision for the kind of players he wants to bring in shows his long-term vision.

“I will look beyond only a season and try and build a structure for more than one year.

”You have seen in the past that if short term relations with managers (make it) very difficult to achieve success.

“So I will try and build a structure for a long term relationship. It will go step by step and it will not go every time as everyone wants, but finally we will achieve the goals that we want.”

Still, the Director of Football admits, in good humour it must be said, that it’s not that simple just getting rid of what amounts to a whole lineup of players.

“I know it’s hard (to get rid of them), because of the salaries in England – it’s so difficult if the player is not successful, then what do you do?

“Because in most countries they can not make the wages they get here in the Premier League. So a lot of players who don’t play (at Everton) can not play anywhere, because the salaries are not comparable.

“So that means even if you have money you have to be careful to spend that money. I always say when you buy ten players, eight or nine have to do well. You have to be careful, even if you have money.

“Hopefully I will succeed to offload the right players. And of course they are good players so I hope there will be interest for a few of our players.”

Brands also added why he took the Everton job despite fielding multiple other offers.

“I think there must be a big challenge. When I came to PSV the club had not been successful for a few years, there was an old team and it was a big challenge for me after coming from AZ Alkmaar. I feel the same here because it is a fantastic club with fantastic fans and a great history.

“When Everton came to me they came with some other Premier League clubs and from the first contact I had a good feeling. After the first contact I didn’t say yes because I had given my word to PSV but later they came back.”

The list of players the paper goes on to propose is not much different from what the fans already know, especially when you take into consideration the dead weight from ending contracts and older players with no future with the Blues as well as some underwhelming youth.

• Out of contract this summer: Joel Robles, David Henen
• Youth players that didn’t work out: Shani Tarashaj, Jose Baxter (transferred to Oldham Athletic), Brendan Galloway, Matthew Pennington (Leeds United interest), Tyias Browning (Sunderland interest), Luke Garbutt (Championship interest)
• Older players at the end of their careers: Ashley Williams (1 yr left on contract), Wayne Rooney (1yr left on contract), Kevin Mirallas (3yrs left on contract)
• New signings that didn’t work out: Davy Klaassen (Besiktas interest), Sandro Ramirez (Sevilla interest), Yannick Bolasie (Premier League interest)
• Other players unlikely to be part of the future: Ramiro Funes Mori (Mexican interest), Oumar Niasse (Galatasaray, Cardiff interest)
• Discontented players: Ademola Lookman, Morgan Schneiderlin