Everton have offered Belgium boss Roberto Martinez the chance to replace Rafa Benitez on an interim basis, according to The Athletic journalist David Ornstein.
The sacking of Benitez was announced on Sunday with a short statement confirming his departure from Goodison Park.
It read: “Everton Football Club can confirm the departure of Rafael Benitez as first-team manager. Benitez, who joined Everton in June 2021, has left the club with immediate effect. An update on a permanent replacement will be made in due course.”
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Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at bottom club Norwich was a ninth loss in 13 Premier League matches, with the Toffees winning just once during that spell.
Toffees fans at Carrow Road were furious, expressing their view with chants and banners that the former Liverpool boss should no longer be in charge.
Benitez was only appointed Everton manager in June – a highly controversial move given his previous time in charge of Liverpool. It was a major gamble by club owner Farhad Moshiri, and it has failed to come off.
Last month, Moshiri stood by Benitez, stating that the 61-year-old would be given time to get things right with new signings and injured players coming back. However, the return of players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin has not seen an improvement.
Everton sit 15th in the table, only six points above the relegation zone and numerous names have already been linked to the vacant position.
Wayne Rooney, Graham Potter and Duncan Ferguson have all been mooted but Everton have now offered the role to former boss Martinez.
The Athletic journalist Ornstein claims that the Merseysiders ‘want Roberto Martinez to replace Rafa Benitez and have offered the Belgium manager the job’.
The Premier League club’s ‘preference would be for their former manager to return to the club on an interim basis’ while Martinez would be keen to bring Arsenal legend and current Belgium assistant Thierry Henry with him as his assistant.
Martinez is ‘in conversation’ with the Belgium FA as he hopes to help Everton until the end of the season but they ‘would prefer he rejects the approach’.
Belgium want the Spaniard’s ‘sole focus to be on their 2022 World Cup campaign this winter’ and ‘an agreement is therefore thought to be some way off at this stage’.
Martinez, who spent three seasons as manager at Goodison Park last decade, isn’t the only manager on Everton’s list with Rooney ‘also under consideration’.
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