Everton are facing a setback in their mission to swiftly appoint a successor to Carlo Ancelotti.
According to reports in the Telegraph, fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace are nearing the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo as their new manager.
The south London side mirror their Merseyside counterparts in having a managerial vacancy following Roy Hodgson’s decision to leave the club after four years in charge of the Eagles.
Crystal Palace had a first-mover advantage over Everton, having been reported previously by Sky Sports to have been in talks for ‘days’ with Nuno’s representatives.
Talks appear to have progressed significantly between the manager’s agent and Crystal Palace, with the Telegraph declaring he is ‘on the verge’ of being appointed at Selhurst Park.
Telegraph journalist John Percy summarised the development on Twitter by confirming that ‘an appointment is close’ with the Portuguese tactician emerging as the south Londoners’ ‘no. 1 target’.
Espirito Santo joined ex-Everton boss David Moyes in a recent report as two leading frontrunners being discussed by officials at Goodison Park, though Moyes is expected to sign a new deal at West Ham.
With Espirito Santo also appearing close to be moving on to another club, Everton will be left looking at alternative candidates.
As shared by Everton fan account @EvertonNewsFeed on Twitter, the viral Tweet left Evertonians debating the next steps for the club among themselves.
Read Everton Verdict
Although likely missing out on one of their two top targets, Everton will not be able to bemoan such a setback for long.
Ex-Liverpool man Rafa Benitez has continued to be linked with the Everton job, whilst the likes of Eddie Howe and Duncan Ferguson have all been touted as possible successors.
Behind the scenes, officials will be racing to appoint a suitable manager in order to provide the cornerstone for potential growth next season.
