Marcel Brands has been speaking to Voetbal International and a big part of the chat was about finances in English football.
In the Netherlands it’s very different and Brands had to work on a tight budget at PSV for his entire period there. Average players in the Premier League get paid more than top Eredivisie stars, and whilst transfer chances can be taken at Everton, Brands made it clear that a ‘miss’ costs a lot more because it’s hard to shift players on who are on big contracts.
PSV’s Hirving Lozano is one of the players to have been linked repeatedly with Everton since Brands made the move to Goodison Park, but it’s clear the Director of Football isn’t prepared to break the bank for the 23 year old, even if he’s interested.
A move to one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs would be a mistake, believes the Dutchman, and he uses the example of Naby Keita moving to Liverpool and not yet enjoying the same prominence at Anfield that he did at RB Leipzig.
“I think that if Hirving Lozano and Steven Bergwijn go directly to the absolute top in the Premier League, they will have it very difficult. Look at Keïta at Liverpool. He was signed for more than €50m from Leipzig, but is simply on the bench. Of course Lozano and Bergwijn are interesting players, but €30m for Hirving and €20m for Steven, we will not pay that.
“For Richarlison we have indeed paid a lot of money, but he is 21 years old and has already shown it in the Premier League. He is likely to deliver double. I do not know yet with Lozano and Bergwijn. If Lozano would cost €20m, I would consider it, but at higher amounts we look at players who have already proven it in the Premier League or in another big league.”
That may be a message to his old club PSV ahead of a possible negotiation, but it’s unlikely they’d accept €20m for the Mexican, given he has a contract running until 2023.
