Everton are reportedly pursuing Ralf Rangnick as their new manager.
According to the Daily Mail, Everton are turning their attention to RB Leipzig’s sporting director Ralf Rangnick – but for their managerial role.
The Toffees sacked Ronald Koeman last month, but replacing the Dutchman has proven difficult, with the search for a new manager now at a month.
A move for Watford boss Marco Silva has fallen flat, with the Hornets desperate to keep hold of their manager – and the Daily Mail report that they are switching targets.
It’s claimed that Everton are now interested in landing RB Leipzig’s sporting director Ralf Rangnick, offering him a return to management in a shock move.
The 59-year-old – formerly of Schalke and Hoffenheim – has managed just one season since leaving Schalke in 2011, taking temporary charge of RB Leipzig for the 2015-16 campaign before becoming their sporting director, given his key role with the Red Bull brand.
Intriguingly, Rangnick was even targeted for the England job following Euro 2016, and the German discussed that situation with Four Four Two in June 2017, admitting that Dan Ashworth offered him the chance to apply for the job, having attempted to lure him to West Brom in 2012.
Rangnick then added that it would take a lot for him to leave the RB Leipzig project, as he has put in so much work with the German side that he wants to stay and continue their ‘fun’ progression.
“Dan first contacted me in 2012 and invited me to an interview at West Brom. He offered me the job but I knew he was probably going to join the FA, so I turned it down,” said Rangnick. “After the Euros he called me again and asked if I would come for an interview for the England job. I said, ‘How realistic is that?’ He said that if it was up to him it would be very realistic, but that there were some other people on the board who’d also have a say, and a few of them thought it should be an Englishman. Of course, that’s normal. Three days after I went for the interview, they informed me that Sam Allardyce would be taking over as manager.”
“In football it’s hard to say never, but I am absolutely happy here. I couldn’t just leave this for good. If somebody had asked me to do a job like England and nothing else, I would find it almost impossible to give this up. There’s too much effort, too much passion and too much energy that I have invested over the last five years. When I started in 2012, we were in level four playing in front of 4,000 people. Now there’s 10 times that. The tempo of development’s been amazing. I thought we could make the Bundesliga in six years, not four, and this season has been a dream. Now it’s starting to be fun,” he added.
Those comments just months ago suggest that Everton may face a major battle convincing Rangnick to leave Leipzig for the Goodison Park job, and after turning away from management in recent years, it may not be a wise move anyway.
Having failed to land Silva from Watford, Everton won’t want to waste their time with another doomed pursuit – but Rangnick’s comments about his role with Leipzig suggest that it may head the same way.
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