Everton are on the verge of naming Paulo Fonseca as their new manager in a sensational move, according to a reliable journalist.
Sky Sports Italy corrrespondent Gianluca Di Marzio claimed on his personal website on Tuesday afternoon that the Merseysiders are closing in on a deal for the Shakhtar Donetsk boss.
Di Marzio reports that Everton have identified Fonseca, 44, as the “ideal replacement” to Ronald Koeman, who was sacked more than a month ago.
It is said that the Premier League club are keen to hire the Portugese immediately, but Shakhtar want to hold on to him until the end of the Champions League group stages next week.
The Portugese has an excellent record at Donetsk, who he steered to the 2016-17 Ukrainian league title and into this season’s Champions League, where they are second to Manchester City in group F and on course to qualify for the knockout stages.
Fonesca is a distant second favourite for the post, with Sky Bet pricing Sam Allardyce as the 1/4 favourite on Tuesday afternoon.
OPINION
It would be a remarkable bolt from the blue were Fonseca to land the job. He had not even been mentioned in dispatches up until a Times report on Tuesday morning that stated he was on a three-man shortlist along with Allardyce and Martin O’Neill. Fonseca is nearly 20 years younger than Allardyce and regarded as an up-and-coming star in the coaching fraternity. He learned his trade in Portugal and then moved abroad for the first time in his career last year to Donetsk, where he has an outstanding record. Not just in the relatively lowly Ukrainian league, either. The club’s Champions League record this season – they are set to qualify for the knockout stages ahead of Italian league leaders Napoli and Feyenoord – has made Europe sit up and take notice. Fonseca has clearly built something special.