It is understood that the Blues would favour signing a top-level target on loan for next season, rather than buying a player who falls further down their wish-list.
Barcelona, following their 8-2 humiliation in the Champions League by Bayern Munich, are expected to accelerate a fire-sale of players while other top clubs, Manchester City, Chelsea and others, are needing to make room for their own squad rebuilds with outgoings.
As Brands said, midway through last year: “There is a lot of pressure at top six clubs and a lot of good players in their squads, for example Manchester City, who find it difficult to play.
At the same event in London, Everton's director of football added: "If you take an example of Lucas Digne, he started his career with Lille, then went to Paris Saint Germain, was loaned to Roma and was then playing for Barcelona but at the age of 24, he wanted to play every week and that was difficult at Barcelona.
“So he was happy to come to the Premier League and play for Everton. He is now one of the best left-backs in England.
“That is an example of how we will approach new players for our club.”
Sounds like a plan to me.
These kinds of players, alongside a number of up-and-coming young players, seems to be the remit for the new squad.
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