Everton’s move for Roberto Martinez appears to have hit a major stumbling block with Belgium reluctant to let their manager leave.
The Toffees sacked Rafael Benitez on Sunday, parting ways with the Spaniard after a fairly dismal period in charge.
Everton fans have been disgruntled for some time, and you have to question the logic of going for Martinez.
Martinez was sacked by Everton in 2016 and fans were absolutely fed up with his reign by the end of it.
Yet now, Farhad Moshiri seemingly thinks Martinez is the man for Everton and wants to bring him back to Merseyside.
The problem is that Martinez currently has a job. He’s currently in charge of the Belgian national team and has been for more than five years.
Belgium of course want Martinez to lead them into the World Cup later this year, and they aren’t even willing to consider a job share.
The Guardian claim that the Belgian FA have now rejected Everton’s first move for Martinez, which would have seen the Spaniard take both jobs.
They are now confident Martinez won’t walk out on his job and will continue towards the World Cup uninterrupted.
The Telegraph claim that Everton are now looking elsewhere, seemingly giving up on a move for Martinez.
An interesting line in that report is that Niko Kovac is being pushed towards Everton, with his representatives no doubt sensing an opportunity.
Kovac is keen to work in England and is available right now having been sacked by Monaco earlier this year.
The Croatian fared well at Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich and Monaco and could suit what Everton are seeking.
Kovac is certainly an interesting name, and could become a prime target with Martinez seemingly unavailable for Moshiri and co.
Belgium aren’t willing to budge on Martinez’s future, and many Everton fans will probably be happy with that having been through a Martinez era once before.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
