Brands says he ‘moved heaven and earth’ to get top target to Everton – Even went to his house

There was a lot of hope when the Dutchman arrived at Goodison Park, with the plan being for him to manage the squad and look for long term success helped by a first class transfer strategy. That didn’t happen, and at times it seemed clear Brands didn’t have the total power that he wanted at the club. His exit became increasingly inevitable and he’s now back in the Netherlands as president at PSV. Brands has been speaking in the Dutch media this week and his time at Everton came into the conversation. That’s when he once again explained he’d wanted Mikel Arteta to be manager there, with the current Arsenal manager his top target for the position.

SoccerNews quote him as saying: “I moved heaven and earth to bring Arteta to Everton. He is also a former player of course. I spent the entire evening at his house and I saw him as the ideal man for us. I immediately saw a top trainer. At the time he was still an assistant to Pep Guardiola and he was busy with other things. But you saw that he was becoming a top trainer.” Brands was encouraged to move for Arteta after speaking to people at the club: “I only heard positive things. Also within the club Everton. Then I was at his house to sound him out and I got so excited. So well prepared, and that passion came out everywhere. His mouth, his nose and his ears. I thought this is the trainer, but for the long term.” What may have been is obviously unknown, but it could have helped the Brands era turn out differently.PSV are currently top of the Eredivisie table, with a gap of 10 points to second placed Feyenoord.