Vitor Pereira is among the forerunners to become Everton manager.
Pereira has been linked with the vacant Goodison Park hot seat on a number of occasions, most recently in 2019 prior to Carlo Ancelotti’s eventual appointment.
Despite his career taking a downturn guiding Porto to back-to-back titles in 2013, the 53-year-old is the latest name to be tipped as Rafael Benitez’s successor.
Preliminary discussions are understood to have taken place between Pereira and the Blues’ majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri about him joining the club.
However the Portuguese coach’s coronation remains far from a formality due to Benitez’s controversial yet short-lived reign, which was curtailed after 200 days.
Pereira is one of several names currently on Everton’s shortlist, with Frank Lampard and current Derby County boss Wayne Rooney also in the running.
Rooney admitted that he was ‘flattered’ by talk of a return to his boyhood club.
Ex-Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac, whose last job in football ended earlier this month with his surprise departure from Monaco, is also in contention.
Everton’s initial plans to reappoint Roberto Martinez fell at the first hurdle after the Royal Belgian Football Association rebuffed their approach last week.