Everton are still paying for mistakes made in the transfer market during Steve Walsh's time at Goodison Park, according to journalist Paul Brown. 

What's the latest transfer news involving Everton?

This summer marked a new era at Everton with Rafa Benitez replacing Carlo Ancelotti, who abruptly departed Merseyside to return to former club Real Madrid. 

New managers tend to mean new signings and new ideas. So whenever a fresh face is brought in, it's always interesting to see how well they'll gel with sporting directors who care less about immediate results and more about long-term vision. 

Marcel Brands has largely been a successful appointment in that respect for the Toffees, helping sign the likes of Richarlison, Lucas Digne and Ben Godfrey, who arrived on Merseyside at relatively young ages and have further developed during their time with Everton. 

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But Everton moved in a slightly different direction this summer. Rather than emphasising youth in the transfer market, Benitiez signed former charge Salomon Rondon (aged 31) and veteran winger Andros Townsend (aged 30), as well 25-year-old Demarai Gray who'd previously struggled to establish himself at Leicester City. 

Journalist Brown admitted there is "some tension" between Benitez and Brands at Goodison Park, but insisted it pales in comparison to the mess Everton got themselves into under Walsh. 

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What did Paul Brown say about Everton's transfer structure?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT in regards to the dynamic between Benitez and Brands, Brown said: "I think it's working at the moment.

"It's not like the mess that it was before when you had Steve Walsh there and there were literally three different people at the club signing players because they fancied the guy themselves, without any consultation.

"That was a complete shambles and a total mess and they're still paying for that."

What happened under Steve Walsh?

After helping recruit the likes of Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N'Golo Kante at Leicester City, Walsh took up a job at Everton in 2016. 

He struggled to replicate that level of success, however, as Everton's transfer policy struggled for clarity.

In summer 2017 alone, they signed Gylfi Sigurdsson, Wayne Rooney, Davy Klaassen and Nikola Vlasic, all of whom preferred to play in the No.10 position.

Deals for Sandro Ramirez, who only ever made 16 first-team appearances, and Henry Onyekuru, who never made a senior outing for the club, didn't work out either. 

Walsh departed in 2018 to make way for Brands, but Brown claims the Toffees are still paying the price for decisions made during his time at the club. 

Not that it was all Walsh's fault. In fact, it seems the biggest issue was the absence of any hierarchy of authority when it came to recruitment, which explains how Everton's signings became so muddled and self-defeating.