Brands leaves Everton as Benitez wins power battle with directer of football

Rafa Benitez has won his Everton power battle with Marcel Brands after the Merseyside club parted company with their Dutch director of football.

Brands has left Goodison by mutual consent after agreeing a pay-off with Toffees' owner Farhad Moshiri.

He has spent almost £300million in the transfer market during his three-year spell on Merseyside - with mixed results.

Now Benitez is set to take control of Everton 's recruitment process after Moshiri assured him he has his full backing despite the recent plunge towards the relegation zone.

Benitez, Brands and the Everton board were verbally abused by fans when the Toffees were thrashed 4-1 by rivals Liverpool in the midweek Mersey derby.

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Moshiri believes the Spaniard must be given more time after seeing his squad decimated by injuries.

But with supporters planning to stage a mass walk-out during tonight's (MONDAY) vital clash with Arsenal, something had to give.

Brands signed a new three-year contract with the club in April.

But after agreeing to step down, he will only be paid until the end of the season.

The 59-year-old arrived at Goodison with a glowing reputation in May 2018 to replace Steve Walsh.

He had helped Louis van Gaal to build the AZ Alkmaar squad that won the Dutch title in 2009.

And he then spent eight successful years as PSV Eindhoven's director of football before being lured to the Premier League.

There will be no shortage of suitors for the Dutchman, with PSV believed to be interested in taking him back as the club's managing director.

But his Goodison tenure has been complicated by two changes of manager.

Marco Silva was sacked after just seven months, while Carlo Ancelotti quit to join Real Madrid in the summer.

But high-profile signings like James Rodriguez, Moise Kean, Bernard, Nikola Vlasic and Cenk Tosun have not worked.

Recruits like Ben Godfrey, Abdoulaye Dacoure, Richarlison and Lucas Digne have proved successful.

But Benitez made it clear to Moshiri after being told he will be given money to spend in January that he wanted to live or die by his own transfer dealings.

Everton's angry fans have called for a mass walk-out during the first half of the game against the Gunners.

Moshiri will be at the game - and fans have been urged to perform a mass exodus in the 27th minute as next year it will be the 27 th anniversary of the club's last trophy win.

Moshiri has invested more than £600m into the club since he first got involved back in 2016.

But supporters are angry at the club's hierarchy over who the Toffees are being run.

They want a clearer line of communication from Moshiri on his future plans.

Chairman Bill Kenwright, CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale and Brands were subjected to vitriolic abuse as they left their seats.

Benitez is also feeling the heat but even with his links to rivals Liverpool it is the club's hierarchy who are taking most of the blame for their slide this season.

They head into tonight's (MONDAY) clash just five points above the relegation zone.