Mark Hughes has emerged as a shock candidate to replace Marco Silva.
Hughes spent a forgettable seven-month spell with Everton in the early 2000s during the latter stages of his playing career and scored just once in 16 games.
The former Wales boss remains out of work since being sacked by Southampton at the end of last year but is now being considered a potential successor to Silva.
Pressure continues to mount on the current Blues manager after winning just one of his last seven Premier League games ahead of Saturday’s trip to Southampton.
Should results deteriorate under Silva before a difficult run of fixtures in December, the Goodison Park board have drawn up a list of viable replacements.
Among them is David Moyes who, like Hughes, would be readily available following his own departure from West Ham at the end of the 2017/18 season.
Moyes left Everton in 2013 to take the reigns at Manchester United but presided over a disastrous spell and was sacked after just 10 months at the helm.
He fared little better with Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham but is understood to welcome the chance to continue his 11-year link with Goodison.
The 56-year-old’s stock remains high with the Everton board despite the manner of his departure and subsequent fall from grace at Old Trafford and elsewhere.