Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala are keen to take Italian World Cup winner Marco Materazzi to the club in a non-playing role.

The former Everton defender is a free agent after his contract with Inter Milan was not renewed during the summer.

Materazzi is close friends with former Inter striker Samuel Eto'o, who joined Anzhi in the summer. He has also attended some of the club's matches this season as a guest of the the Cameroon international.

However, Russian Premier League rules state that each club must have at least five home-grown players in the team. That rules out a move for 38-year-old Materazzi in a playing capacity, but the club still want him to become a director.

"Unfortunately he can't play for us but I want him to be part of our project. I will do everything I can to have him at Anzhi because he is a great person," said sporting director German Tkachenko.

Materazzi made over 200 appearances during a ten-year stint with Inter.