“?Everton are reportedly very close to being able confirm Ronald Koeman as their new manager after agreeing a deal to secure the Dutchman’s signature, and, perhaps, more importantly, his exit from Southampton with whom he is still contracted to until 2017.
According to the Daily Mail, Everton could even publicly announce the appointment before the end of the weekend, while it is said that the considerable transfer budget made available at Goodison Park was a huge attraction for Koeman.
When wealthy new investor Farhad Moshiri bought into the club earlier this year, it was quick rumoured that he would hand over £100m to spend on new and existing players.
The report from the Mail notes that Koeman was reluctant to simply turn his back on Southampton, but the job at Everton and the associated finances will give him opportunities to work with players that he just wouldn’t have been afforded at St Mary’s.
It is believed that Everton have to pay the full £3.5m value of the final 12 months of Koeman’s Southampton contract. He will then begin work in his new role as soon as he returns from a personal holiday, which he is due to take next week.
Recent reports suggested that Southampton had made a significant effort to get Koeman to stay and sign a new contract, but that appears to have been in vain.
Koeman began his coaching almost as soon as he retired from playing in 1997, taking a job as an assistant with the Dutch national team. He then worked on Louis van Gaal’s staff at Barcelona, before stepping out as a manager with Vitesse Arnhem in 2001.
He has since taken charge of Ajax, Benfica, PSV Eindhoven, Valencia, AZ and Feyenoord, joining Southampton as Mauricio Pochettino’s successor in the summer of 2014.
He battled against his best players being sold on the south coast, but still managed 7th and 6th place Premier League finishes in his two seasons with the club.
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