Frank Lampard is set to hold further talks over becoming Everton manager.
Lampard has not coached since being sacked by Chelsea a year ago and was previously in the running for the hot seat at several Premier League clubs.
But the former England international could be handed the reins at Goodison Park despite Vitor Pereira emerging as Farhad Moshiri’s first choice candidate.
Pereira had been favourite to succeed Rafael Benitez but since dropped down after going public about negotiations in an interview with Sky Sports News.
Disenfranchised supporters daubed the 53-year-old’s name on the walls of Goodison after it emerged that he was in line for the job on Tuesday night.
Pereira’s decision to break his silence in a phone interview with Sky Sports News on Wednesday is understood to have further undermined his chances.
That has brought Lampard back into contention as Moshiri bids to install a manager who can steer Everton away from a potential relegation battle.
The 43-year-old was name-checked in the graffiti and is considered a more favourable option due to boasting Premier League managerial experience.
Moshiri’s ever-changing shortlist of candidates is in stark contrast to last summer’s unpopular appointment of Benitez, who was sacked after 200 days.