Marcel Brands has thanked Everton's fans for helping him negotiate with Barcelona over Andre Gomes.
The Blues turned Gomes' loan deal into a permanent switch this summer after striking a £22m deal with the Spanish giants.
Gomes had interest from across Europe but made it clear he wanted a return to Goodison.
And when Brands headed into talks with Barca he said it helped his bargaining position that Gomes had such a strong relationship with Evertonians.
Asked about how signing Gomes could be seen as a huge statement, the director of football said: "Yes, but I have to be honest, the biggest help in that was our fans.
"They loved him from the first day and that gave Andre a great feeling here at this club.
"That helped me a lot in the negotiations I had with Barcelona.
"There was interest in him from other clubs in England.
"And when Andre decided he wanted to go to Everton that helped me a lot in the negotiations with Barcelona.
"That was a great job the fans did for me."
Brands added: "And in this case the fans gave him such a beautiful and amazing welcome that he felt at home from day one.
"That is not something I can arrange. It happens and I was glad to see that.
"It helped me a lot."
Marcel Brands has spoken exclusively to evertontv about the summer transfer window – and revealed the untold stories around every signing the Club made in advance of 2019/20.
The wide-ranging interview is available now to Season Ticket, Lounge and Official Members by visiting https://www.evertonfc.com
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