Dyche becomes Everton’s top target after Koeman sacking

Liverpool: Sean Dyche has emerged as one of Everton’s top targets following the sacking of Ronald Koeman as manager.

David Unsworth, a former Everton defender, will take charge for the short-term after stepping up from his role with the club’s under-23s.

One option is to keep Unsworth in place, possibly even until the end of the season should things work out, while Everton consider possible candidates, but Dyche is believed to figure prominently in their thoughts at present.

Dyche is not the only candidate being mooted as a possible replacement. Bournemouth manager -Eddie Howe — an Everton supporter — has long had his admirers at the club but it would also be difficult to lure him away mid-season.

Everton may aim for either Carlo Ancelotti or Thomas Tuchel — both currently out of work — but although they would both be interested in coming to the -Premier League, both would prefer a Champions League club or Arsenal, should a vacancy arise.

Both appear long shots. Former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs has also expressed an interest in the role. Everton decided to terminate Koeman’s contract following -Sunday’s shock 5-2 home defeat by Arsenal, which left the club in the bottom three with just eight points from nine games and already eight points outside the Champions League qualification places.

Koeman arrived at Everton’s Finch Farm training ground at 7am yesterday and oversaw first-team training, before then being called to a meeting with Everton chairman Bill Kenwright and chief executive Robert Elstone, during which he was told he was being fired.

Moshiri had given Koeman his backing just a fortnight ago after their 1-0 home defeat by Dyche’s Burnley, but since then Everton have drawn at Brighton, lost to Lyon in what has been a desperately poor Europa League -campaign, and then been humiliated by Arsenal.

It would not have helped -Koeman’s prospects that Arsenal were the club Moshiri attempted to buy, along with Alisher Usmanov, before he invested in Everton.

“Write what you want to write,” Koeman said as he departed his post-Arsenal press conference, and they were his final public words as Everton manager, having arrived at the club with Moshiri proclaiming him the kind of big name needed to compete against the other

Koeman also made it clear that Ross Barkley could leave and it will be interesting to see whether there is a way back now for the midfielder, injured at present, with Tottenham Hotspur still hoping to sign him in the January transfer window.

— The Telegraph Group Limited, London