Marcel Brands has confirmed that Everton have lined up their summer transfer targets.
The Blues' director of football says the club decided on the positions that needed strengthening before Christmas - and have now finalised the players they want to fill them.
Brands has reiterated his desire to bring in new signings aged between 20-25 and says no player will be pursued unless both he and Marco Silva agree.
Everton's squad is expected to undergo another shake-up in the close season but players on the periphery of Silva's squad still hope to convince the manager and Brands they have a long-term future at Goodison.
But speaking at the Football Innovation Summit in London this morning, Everton's transfer chief also explained how the club may take advantage of the talent pool at the Premier Leagues' top six sides to help add to their squad this summer.
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“After the summer window, we had a new scouting department, but from September 1 we began work for next season,” Brands said.
“The first few months we were focusing on all positions but towards the end of the year – November, December – we decided on the positions for 19-20.
“We didn't do anything in the winter window because there was no big need for that and I don't like to bring players in during the winter window because there is no pre-season, the games go on and on and it is difficult for the players to adapt.
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“We didn't do anything but prepared more for the summer.
“Now, on April 2, the players are already decided. We've done a lot of work on that and let's see what is possible and what we can do but the positions and names are ready.”
He added: “I would never bring in a player that the coach is not looking for or does not want to work with.
“The opposite will also not happen. If Marco likes a player but I don't think he would fit in with the philosophy of the club or think he is not the right choice, too old or whatever it is. We both have to agree.
“On June 1, we started looking at the positions and players and started working and all the players that came in we both agreed on all those players.”
Brands, who answered questions at the central London event for over half-an-hour this morning, says Everton will find it tough to compete for signings with the Premier League's elite sides but says the Blues can look into signing those club's fringe players.
“We are always competing with other Premier League clubs and if we are competing with top six clubs then that is difficult,” he said.
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“But 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.
“Ross Barkley was a superstar in Everton but is not always playing in Chelsea so that can sometimes give you an advantage and if you give players that particular pathway, at particular ages, then we can try and focus on that.
“It is also important to have a coach who can develop players and Marco is really good at that.”
Following his first summer at Goodison, Brands revamped Everton's scouting department and has detailed how a potential transfer target is identified and then pursued.
“The first step is the quality of the player and the positions,” he said.
“If you think a player could really fit then you have to look at all kinds of analysis; the physical aspect, the injury history, you try to find more about his character and background.
“You do your research around that particular player and we have a very good department at Everton with young guys who are very interested in all the information and what they bring to my desk, we are sometimes surprised by what they produce, it is really good information.
“After that, we make a package on the player to see if he can fit in the Everton environment, in the team we have, in the style and we try to do that in a particular age.
“The players we brought in last year were all under 25 so we don't want to invest big money in players who are older. Everton is a club that also has to sell players so it is necessary to get younger players to invest in.
“That's why we invested in young players last summer. Digne was 24, Mina 23, Richarlison 21, so we look to players in age group 20-25/26.”
Brands continued: “First of all, after identifying a player in the scouting department we bring it up to the staff.
“Sometimes, the first-team staff know the player but it is possible they don't know.
“We make a big report on the player of video with all their strengths, all their weaknesses and we then decide if we want to go for the player.
“Then I go directly to the club and his agent and I use the manager in that process because it is important he speaks to the manager because he has to work with him every day so there has to be a connection between them.
“And then you try to sell your club, we are an ambitious club with a good environment.
“And that is also why I said we have a particular age because you want to create a pathway.
"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.”
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