‘I know for a fact’ - Harry Redknapp makes Everton wages and ‘certain agents’ claims

Harry Redknapp believes Everton’s recruitment is the cause of the club’s plight - and has claimed there are fringe players earning close to £100,000 per week.

The Toffees find themselves 19th in the Premier League table and took the decision to sack Frank Lampard as manager yesterday.

There is a genuine fear that Everton will be relegated this season, having narrowly stayed up last term. That’s despite more than £500 million being spent on transfers under majority owner Farhad Moshiri, with the Toffees posting losses of £372 million in the past three years.

Significiant fees have been paid for the likes of Michael Keane (£25 million), Abdoulaye Doucoure (£20 million) and Yerry Mina (£28 million) who have been on the periphery of things this campaign.

And former Tottenham manager Redknapp - who is the uncle of Lampard - reckons whoever takes over at Goodison Park faces an impossible job to succeed.

What’s been said

Redknapp told talkSPORT: “Look at the managers they’ve had. They’re not exactly second rate are they? You go from [Carlo] Ancelotti to Marco Silva, who’s doing an amazing job at Fulham. [Roberto] Martinez, Ronaldo Koeman, Sam Allardyce was there, Rafa Benitez - it’s been incredible. No-one can make it work there and it’s been the recruitment.

“They’ve got players on big wages. I know for a fact they’ve got players on nearly £100,000 per week who can’t move because their wages are so high and they’re not top Premier League players but have been given these contracts. There’s no movement getting people out to get people in. Unless there are massive changes, it’s an impossible job.

“There’s not a good feeling around the place and when you get that it becomes very difficult. Looking at the recruitment and the squad, he’s got [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin who’s come back from being injured and is probably nowhere near 100% fit still and he’s got no options.

“He’s got Maupay, who’s found it a struggle. Other than that, he’s got no front man. Without goalscorers, you’re not doing to win games. It’s a badly-balanced squad. The players who’ve been brought, they deal with certain agents and they seem to bring the players in. The signings have been poor.”