Everton want boyhood Goodison Park fan Eddie Howe to succeed under-fire manager Marco Silva.
Although Silva is in charge this afternoon for the trip to Leicester City, majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright are ready to make the change.
Both were shocked by the ferocity of the home fans demands for Silva’s removal during last Saturday’s defeat against basement club Norwich City.
They don’t want a repeat of that toxic atmosphere for this Saturday’s televised visit of Chelsea , which comes just three days after the Merseyside derby at Anfield.
Bournemouth boss Howe is their No.1 target, and Moshiri and Kenwright are determined to get their man armed with a lucrative personal package which will make him one of the Premier League’s biggest earners.
Howe was Kenwright’s choice to replace Sam Allardyce when the former England manager was dismissed 18 months ago but Moshiri held sway over his boardroom colleague and went for Silva.
This time around there is agreement that Howe, 42, is the right man to take the club forward.
Preliminary talks of bringing back former boss David Moyes were scrapped with the Goodison Park decision makers aware of a groundswell of opinion amongst the fans which was against the idea.
It’s believed Moyes himself was also surprised by the reaction - one which has propelled Howe into pole position to become Everton ’s new man.
Despite his loyalty to Bournemouth where he has worked miracles he has supported Everton from a young age.
He admitted: “I was a passionate Everton fan as a kid. It was always my dream to go to Goodison as a child. I never got there until later in life.”
Instead he watched Everton when he could in the south where he lived. His favourite player was Tony Cottee.
Now he will soon receive the invitation to step into the Everton dug out.
