Everton are planning to offer David Moyes a new contract this summer in recognition of his achievement in transforming the club from relegation candidates to challengers for European qualification.
Moyes signed a two-and-a-half-year deal when succeeding Sean Dyche last January, with Everton one point above the relegation zone. They are currently eighth, only three points outside the Champions League qualification places.
Moyes was initially seen as a short-term appointment by Everton’s owners, the Friedkin Group, who had only completed their £400m takeover the previous month. The Texan-based investors, led by chairman Dan Friedkin, are now convinced Moyes is the right man to take Everton forward in the longer term and want the 62-year-old to extend his contract. While formal discussions will not take place until the end of the season, there is confidence at Everton that Moyes is ready to extend his second spell at the club.
The former Manchester United and West Ham manager has played down talk of a new deal – “I’m not too worried about that, I’m fine,” he said last week. Any new contract for Moyes is likely to be accompanied by giving the manager a greater say over recruitment, as was the case during his first spell in charge between 2002 and 2013.
There is a recognition at Everton that Moyes is at his best working with more experienced players, such as Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall who both signed last summer, rather than youngsters like Tyler Dibling, who has made just four Premier League starts since he joined from Southampton.
The Freidkin Group also own Roma, which could potentially complicate Everton’s hopes of returning to Europe next season as the Italian club are currently sixth in Serie A, which would give them a place in the Conference League. Under Uefa regulations, clubs owned, controlled or operated by the same entity cannot play in the same competition, which this season led to Crystal Palace being forced to drop down to the Conference League to avoid a clash with the French club Lyon.
The Friedkin Group have opted not to put either Everton or Roma in a blind trust to demonstrate a separation of ownership, a compliance route previously taken by Manchester City and Manchester United as they are also both part of multi-club groups, but are confident they will not have any issues.
Sources have disclosed that the Friedkin Group has an alternative structural solution in place that will enable both Everton and Roma to take part if both qualify for the same competition.
