Everton's new prospective owners The Friedkin Group have reportedly shortlisted ex-England boss Gareth Southgate to become the club's next manager once their takeover is complete.
Southgate remains out of work since leaving the England job after their Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain in Berlin during the summer, and has since taken on a role as a technical observer with UEFA for the current season.
That could change in the foreseeable future though, if Everton's new potential owners, who agreed a deal to buy the club on Monday, want a change of direction from the reign of Sean Dyche, with friction growing between the manager and the fanbase.
Everton surrendered back-to-back 2-0 leads to lose against Bournemouth and Aston Villa recently, and only got their first Premier League point of the season at Leicester City on Saturday.
Even if Dyche survives their current run of poor form, his contract expires at the end of season, and the new owners are likely going to implement a manager of their choosing, before pumping money into the squad.
Southgate set for Premier League return after 15 years away?
Ben Jacobs of talkSPORT claims that The Friedkin Group could look to hire Southgate once they take control of the club from Farhad Moshiri, replacing under-fire Dyche.
Southgate got his first break in management with Middlesbrough, immediately after retiring from his playing career in 2006, and he remained at the club for three years.
However, the rookie manager was unable to replicate the achievements of Steve McClaren at the Riverside, winning just 29% of his matches and suffering relegation in the 2008-09 campaign, before being sacked early the following season.
Southgate rebuilt his managerial career with the England Under-21 side, and after three years coaching in the youth setup, he was promoted to senior manager after Sam Allardyce resigned in disgrace.
Despite murmurings after the 2022 World Cup where Southgate had doubts about staying on and was considering a move to club management, he stayed on for another two years until Euro 2024.
However, his exit from the England set up in the summer now could see a Premier League club take a chance on the 54-year-old, 15 years after he departed Middlesbrough.
Will Everton's new owners sack Sean Dyche?
Dyche's job security was already under threat given the start to the season Everton had made, but the precarious situation at ownership level was likely to keep him in the job regardless.
With current owner Moshiri stepping back from the club and Everton only being kept afloat thanks to loans from prospective buyers, it was unclear whether anybody at the club had the authority to pull the trigger.
However, with the news that a takeover could be completed within the next two months, that places greater pressure on Dyche to improve fortunes rapidly, with Everton still in the relegation zone.
The Friedkin Group wasted no time in sacking Daniele De Rossi at Roma last week after the Giallorossi's poor start, showing that persistent poor form may not be accepted under the new owners.
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