Everton closing in on Ronald Koeman as new manager

Everton’s hunt for a new manager could be nearing completion with Ronald Koeman now odds-on to move to Goodison Park.

Dutch media are reporting that Koeman’s agent, Rob Jansen, is on his way to Liverpool to hold talks with the Toffees.

Everton made Koeman their number one target from the outset, but early reports suggested the Dutchman was ready to sign a new deal at Southampton.

The south coast club have been in talks with Koeman’s representatives over a new deal at St Mary’s but nothing has been confirmed while the former Ajax boss was on holiday.

Koeman returned from his summer break yesterday and it appears his arrival back on these shores has accelerated Everton’s attempts to lure him to Merseyside.

Dutch journalist Tim de Wit tweeted this morning that Jansen was on his way to Merseyside to discuss terms. That was picked up by Dutch website voetbalzone.nl, who said Koeman was ready to "cut ties" with Southampton.

Ronald Koeman staat op punt te tekenen als trainer van Everton. Is met zaakwaarnemer Rob Jansen onderweg naar Liverpool.

— Tim de Wit (@timdewit) June 2, 2016

Little has been said in the English press about those reports, though David Maddock wrote about Everton’s determination to land Koeman in this morning’s edition of the Mirror.

The bookies have responded to the news by slashing Koeman’s odds of joining the blues; no doubt after a flurry of Everton fans backed the 53-year-old to move to Goodison Park after hearing the latest rumours.

There remains a long way to go and we still have precious little to go on. But it does appear Everton are stepping up the recruitment process and we could even hear something definitive by the weekend.