Marcel Brands to step down as Everton director of football

Everton director Marcel Brands is expected to step down from his position at Goodison Park with immediate effect.

The Dutchman replaced Steve Walsh as director of football in 2018 and has overseen some hefty spending, but that recruitment has not always brought results.

Almost £300m has been spent on new signings during Brands' tenure, and while there have been some success stories like Richarlison and Lucas Digne, disappointing signings like Josh King, Alex Iwobi, James Rodriguez and Moise Kean have left fans feeling more than frustrated.

Manager Rafa Benitez finds himself under immense pressure after a run of just one win in the team's last 11 games, and with talks over the direction of the club ongoing, The Mirror state that Brands will soon be on his way.

Brands is expected to step down immediately but will be paid until the end of the season, having agreed to forego the remaining two years on his contract, which he signed back in the spring.

His arrival at Goodison back in 2018 was met with real fanfare. He had helped Louis van Gaal turn PSV into a real force in the Eredivisie and was expected to replicate that success with an Everton side which many have felt have been on the brink of a breakthrough for years now.

However, his expensive signings have not always worked out and the club were left with limited funds during the past summer transfer window, in which the £1.6m signing of Demarai Gray was Everton's biggest deal.

The squad's underperformance has seen Benitez face plenty of pressure, but a number of supporters have called for those in the boardroom at Everton to move on to allow the Toffees to change instead of just bringing in a new manager.

Club owner Farhad Moshiri recently backed Benitez, insisting he will give the Spaniard enough time to turn Everton's fortunes around, but talks remain ongoing about how the club can improve away from the pitch.