Luis Enrique may be Everton coup, despite Koeman being touted to replace him

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Everton are being linked with ex-Barcelona boss Luis Enrique.

According to a report from the Daily Star, Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri is interested in luring Luis Enrique to Goodison Park as a replacement for Sam Allardyce this summer.

Allardyce was only appointed as Ronald Koeman’s replacement back in November, but poor results – such as Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Watford – and a turgid brand of football mean fans are far from happy with his reign so far.

‘Big Sam’ may already be fighting for his job, especially amid claims from the Daily Star that majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri could be lining up Luis Enrique as a potential replacement this summer.

Enrique, 47, had spells in charge of Barcelona B, Roma and Celta Vigo before landing the Barcelona job in 2014, and he went on to win 76% of his games in charge of the Catalan giants, winning two La Liga titles and the Champions League.

The Spaniard left the Camp Nou at the end of last season and has been out of work ever since, with Everton now potentially ready to offer him a return to management – despite the claims that he could have been replaced by ex-Toffees manager Koeman.

Mundo Deportivo reported in 2017 that Koeman was one of four candidates to replace Enrique after a strong season with Everton, but the job eventually went to Ernesto Valverde – and Koeman lasted only a matter of months with Everton after that.

Despite suggestions that Koeman could be the man to replace Enrique at Barcelona, Enrique being the next Everton boss would still be a coup for Moshiri and the Toffees, rather than a step down.

Enrique’s record in Europe with one of the world’s biggest clubs was stellar, handling the expectation levels at the Camp Nou admirably, whilst successfully adapting Barcelona’s style of play – something Koeman was never truly able to do with Everton over his tenure.

If Everton can afford Enrique, then the Spaniard would be a smart target for Moshiri, and they should not be put off by any recent suggestions that Koeman – a man who left Everton under a major cloud – could be his successor at Barcelona.