Farhad Moshiri must sanction a new contract for Everton’s Director of Football Marcel Brands with the Dutchman yet to be offered a new deal.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, Moshiri is refusing to rush any decision over Brands’ future and may wait until the end of the season to retain the 58-year-old.

Brands is inside the final six months of his current contract but wishes to continue at Goodison Park beyond 2020/21 and into at least a third campaign.

His position on the Everton board as a Director is said to be an overriding factor in the delaying of any new terms, as the board cannot freely meet to discuss the Dutchman’s situation.

Moshiri has also not yet decided whether he wishes to retain Brands’ services or not, having spent almost £200m on transfers since hiring the former PSV Eindhoven chief to succeed Steve Walsh as Everton’s second Director of Football.

Those deals include paying £50m for Richarlison, £34m for Alex Iwobi, £27.5m for Moise Kean, £27m for Yerry Mina, £25m for Jean-Philippe Gbamin and £10m for Fabian Delph, beside the arrivals of Lucas Digne, Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Ben Godfrey.

Should Everton retain Brands?

Brands’ record as Everton’s Director of Football has not been perfect, with Kean and Delph two prime examples of players moving to Goodison Park and not hitting the desired level.

Kean managed just two goals in 33 games last season while Delph has made only 27 appearances across all competitions, but the likes of Richarlison, Digne, Allan, Doucoure, Godfrey, James Rodriguez and even Iwobi this term have shown there to be far more hits than misses.

That was not the same for his predecessor, Steve Walsh, who few could argue against Everton firing in 2018 after a string of poor decisions as the Toffees adopted the Director of Football model.

Brands has also been credited with playing a pivotal role in a number of other deals, such as Niels Nkounkou’s move from Olympique de Marseille as a free agent last summer. He also helped to convince Digne to leave FC Barcelona for Merseyside, where the Frenchman has resurrected a career beginning to be lost on the sidelines in Spain.

And while Everton are expected to be quiet on the incomings front this month, Brands is already planning for the club’s future – one he may not be a part of – but how would he convince potential targets of a move to Goodison Park and to dedicate their career to a side where the person responsible for their arrival may soon leave?

Moshiri needs to realise the strength Everton would gain from further continuity with Brands in his current position, one that has seen his signings help turn the club into a side competing for qualification for Champions League football – just three years on from hiring Sam Allardyce to avoid relegation.

Brands has also built a strong relationship with head coach Carlo Ancelotti, who lauds the work the 58-year-old has carried out both before and after the Italian’s arrival.

“I have a good relationship with him, but apart from this a friendship. I think he is doing a fantastic job, he's been at this club more than me,” Ancelotti said, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo.

“I found the club really well organised. I found a really important scouting department. So, I think it will be important for him to continue and to find a deal with the club.”

Moshiri risks making a grave error by not retaining Brands, and must swiftly sanction a new contract for the Dutchman and set the club up to succeed in the summer transfer window.

AND in other news, Everton have been dealt a huge blow in their pursuit of a £13.5m beast...