Jose Mourinho has emerged as a potential target for Everton if they decide to pull the plug on Rafa Benitez’s reign.
The Portuguese only took over at Italian side Roma in July, but there is already a belief he would be open to a return to England if the right opportunity presented itself.
Pressure on Benitez has ramped up following the Merseyside derby in which Everton were thumped 4-1 by his old club Liverpool in midweek.
The defeat extended Everton’s miserable run to seven losses and two draws in their last 10 Premier League games.
And there was upset throughout much of the game and at the final whistle from home supporters, who again vented their anger towards both the manager and the Goodison Park board.
Co-owner Farhad Moshiri has publicly backed Benitez since but the dreaded vote of confidence will only last so long if results don’t improve given fans of his club are in such mutinous mood.
And if Moshiri and Co do decide to part company with Benitez then former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham manager Mourinho’s availability will be looked into.
The 58-year-old has only been at Roma for five months but cracks have begun to appear.
He has groaned about his squad depth and been particularly vocal about some of the officiating in Serie A.
Mourinho has made no secret of the fact that the Premier League is where he feels most at home.
And if the Everton job becomes available then he may well find it hard to resist the chance to return to England.
