Everton are seeking to appoint a new director of football – and they could now end up landing former Liverpool man Steve Hitchen.
The Toffees saw two key parts of their recruitment team leave earlier this season with Marcel Brands and Gretar Steinsson both exiting.
Everton did manage to navigate the January transfer window without replacing them, but there is still a need for new recruitment staff.
The Telegraph now claim that Everton are looking to snap up Hitchen, who resigned from his role at Tottenham Hotspur last week.
After serving as Tottenham’s director of technical performance, Hitchen is now on the move having lost power with the arrival of Fabio Paratici.
Everton have seemingly identified Hitchen as the man they want, which would mean a return to Merseyside for the 45-year-old.
Hitchen worked as a scout at Everton’s rivals Liverpool between January 2011 and August 2012.
The main move HItchen has been credited with during his time at Liverpool is the January 2011 capture of Luis Suarez from Ajax.
The Independent claim that Hitchen ‘masterminded’ the move for Suarez having first seen him shining as a teenager with Groningen.
Hitchen kept tabs on Suarez at Ajax, even watching him train during a seven-game ban with the Amsterdam club.
Hitchen was blown away by Suarez and convinced Liverpool to splash £23million on the Uruguayan striker.
That deal proved to be one of Liverpool’s best in recent memory.
Suarez hit 82 goals in 133 games for Liverpool before earning them a huge profit with a £75million move to Barcelona in 2014.
Having landed Liverpool one of their modern day heroes, Everton may now hope Hitchen can do the same for them – if they get him on board.
That’s a big ask given how good Suarez was, but Hitchen has an eye for talent and could use it to greatly help Everton.
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