Marcel Brands has refused to rule out the possibility of Everton making another move for Donny van de Beek in January.
The Toffees were heavily linked with the Manchester United outcast during the summer window, after a disappointing first season in English football.
Van de Beek’s agent Guido Albers has already opened up on the failed pursuit of his client, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ultimately blocking the move.
And now Everton’s technical director Marcel Brands has confirmed that the Dutchman was on their shortlist of potential targets ahead of the new season.
“We had him on our list. At the beginning of the transfer window, we enquired at United, then it was impossible,” he told NOS.
“At the end of the window, I received a call from Guido Albers, his agent, that he might be rented out after all. But at the last minute it was cancelled. Stopped again.”
Despite Solskjaer moving to veto the transfer, Van de Beek remains a man on the peripheries - playing just six minutes in total in the Premier League.
During the Champions League win over Villarreal, the 24-year-old was visibly frustrated on the substitutes’ bench and was spotted throwing his chewing gum towards the dugout.
The United boss moved to quash any suggestions of dissent, but accepted that the player had every right to be frustrated.
"I manage a squad full of international footballers, competitive footballers who want to make a difference, want to play. They all want to be on the pitch, of course they do," Solskjaer said.
"Donny was ready to come on [against Villarreal], as all the players should be. I've probably been a substitute more than anyone in this club and you have to be ready all the time.
"I understand the frustration. Every player is keen to play. That's got to be built into energy and some determination for when you get on and then show me. That is not just Donny, that is all the players."
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However, with the midfielder left out of another Netherlands squad, his determination to leave the club could only grow, with Brands hinting that Everton could try to sign him again.
“You always depend on whether a club wants to cooperate,” Brands continued. “And it is early October, so much can still happen with injuries. United are playing on various fronts, it’s hard to say now.
“It is of course a pity for Donny. He is a very good player, no doubt about it. Such a boy wants to play and wants to return to the Dutch national team.
“But you know that at such a club the pressure is great and the competition is huge. When you see what United had sitting on the bench: Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, Paul Pogba…”
