Everton’s capture of Marco Silva could have multi-million pound implications as the behind-the-scenes feud with Watford rumbles on, according to the Telegraph.
The newspaper report that the issue involving the Premier League rivals, which stemmed from the Hornets accusing the Toffees of tapping up the Portuguese manager back when he was still in the Vicarage Road dugout, is still going on and that Everton signing Silva has stoked the fires in the Hertfordshire club’s claim.
It is said that crunch talks between the clubs are scheduled for next month as a settlement is made, with Watford demanding significant compensation for the damage done by Everton’s pursuit before appointing Sam Allardyce, and that his arrival at Goodison Park this summer helps strengthen their claims.
The report states the Toffees were willing to give their top flight counterparts £10million to break his contract over the winter, but that was turned down.
Opinion
It should have been expected that Silva’s arrival at Everton was going to stir the pot, with Watford making a big deal over their alleged illegal approach back when Ronald Koeman had been sacked. The Hornets will likely argue that the Toffees have finally got their man for nothing after their season was disrupted by all the speculation and they felt forced to axe him in a bid to save their campaign. Whether their argument stands up to the panel remains to be seen but this is one feud which does not look like going away any time soon. Everton and Watford might be hundreds of kilometres away from each other but next season they could be each other’s biggest rivals as this controversial issue threatens to continue throughout the summer. The Toffees will be hoping that it is not too costly, but if the case goes in favour in Watford then it is likely to a multi-million pound settlement.