Another Everton manager candidate is off limits now

It appears Everton are being widely used nowadays as a bargaining chip in contract negotiations throughout the world of football.

Young footballer looking to make the breakthrough to the senior ranks? Middling player seeking a big payday? Veteran looking to hit the jackpot one last time? Hotshot young manager yearning for a raise? Bigtime manager trying to strengthen his hand in negotiations? Just have your agent link you to Everton, simple.

The latest link is Portuguese manager Sérgio Conceição, who was rumoured to be unhappy at Porto where he just lifted the Liga NOS title this season. The 43-year-old has just signed a one-year extension that will keep him at the club for another two years now. He is currently making £1.7million a year, with the Blues apparently having offered to double his wages along with paying off the release clause on his Porto contract.

Speaking after inking the new deal, Conceicao said -

“I had another year on my contract. It is true that there was another approach, but my priority has always been to represent this club and to continue what was done this year.

”I am extremely happy for this renewal and for this sign of everyone’s confidence in the work done so far. The president’s confidence does not need paper or pen. The motivation to train does not need contracts.

”To this day, I have never discussed a contract with the president, and there have been some that we have done together. Porto thought it was important to do another year of my contract, and I am extremely pleased to be connected to the club until 2020.”

It’s looking very likely now that Marco Silva will indeed be the man to take over at Everton after countryman Paulo Fonseca also extended his current deal at Shakhtar Donetsk last week.