Everton are expected to hold clear-the-air talks with Watford over Marco Silva.
Silva is again the forerunner for the vacant Blues’ hot seat in the wake of Sam Allardyce’s sacking on Wednesday after just six months at the helm.
But the planned move for the out-of-work Portuguese coach has been complicated by the manner of his January departure from Vicarage Road.
Watford claimed that Everton made an ‘unwarranted approach’ for Silva when seeking to appoint him as Ronald Koeman’s replacement in November.
The Hertfordshire club lodged a formal complaint to the Premier League over the conduct of Goodison Park chiefs in their failed pursuit of the 40-year-old.
However Everton are hopeful of agreeing a compensation fee with Watford to both speed up Silva’s appointment and avoid any potential ramifications.
Marcel Brands’ arrival as the new club’s director of football is set to accelerate the process of appointing a direct successor to Allardyce.