Speaking on the Transfer Window podcast, Duncan Castles has suggested Marcel Brands may use Manchester United to broker a new deal at Everton.
The Red Devils are reportedly keen on bringing in Brands with him succeeding in helping Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti build a fine squad by making good signings in the transfer window.
Indeed, the last market saw the Blues sign the likes of James Rodriguez and Allan and both have had top impacts at Goodison Park so far, even if their form has tailed off a little since their scintillating opening to the campaign.
That in mind, Manchester United were linked with an interest in bringing him to Old Trafford in order to improve their transfer activity, though Castles believes Brands may well have eyes for staying on Merseyside.
He said, at 5:35 of the podcast:
“A story came out that he was a strong candidate for the role [Manchester United’s director of football].
“[It] might not be a coincidence that Brands has less than a year left on his contract at Everton and from his perspective would be in a position where he is free to leave at the end of the season without compensation.
“It might not be a bad situation for him, even if he wants to stay at Everton, for any interest from Manchester United to become public knowledge, so he can use it in negotiations with Everton to improve his position after what was one of the strongest transfer windows Everton have had under their current ownership.”
Rush Football’s take
Brands certainly had a good window for Everton and you would have thought that the club would be keen on keeping him past his contract expiring next year.
You can see where Castles is coming from, then. Brands can use Manchester United’s apparent interest in him as leverage for a better deal to stay at Everton, which he may well want to do anyway, and leave the Red Devils empty handied.
We’ll see how it plays out, but it would appear that Brands is a man in demand at the moment.
