Everton are refusing to pay Watford compensation for potential Sam Allardyce successor Marco Silva, and have even turned the tables on the Hornets, according to the Times.
With Allardyce gone, and Paulo Fonseca re-committed to Shakhtar Donetsk, Silva seems like the most likely man to take over at Goodison Park.
However, Watford have been demanding compensation from Everton before they can appoint him – which links back to their complaints with the club in January.
When the club decided to sack Silva in January, the Hornets pointed at Everton as the ‘catalyst’ in their decline, claiming Everton’s unsolicited approach turned Silva’s head and distracted him back in November, leading to a slide in form.
Now, Everton are declining to pay Watford for the right to appoint a free agent Silva, and have even threatened the club with evidence over their own illegal negotiations from last summer.
According to the Times, Everton have information that suggests Watford made an unsolicited approach for Silva while he was still manager of Hull City, a clear breach of Premier League guidelines.
Meanwhile, Watford claim that with Silva having a relegation release clause in his Hull contract, they had every right to approach him without Hull’s permission.
While this could drag on slightly longer than hoped, it is still expected that Everton will appoint Marco Silva as their next manager – although they may face the Premier League arbitration panel first to resolve this issue.
