Everton line-up Moyes’ successor

REUTERS

Everton will target Roberto Martinez if David Moyes, pictured, decides to quit the Merseyside club at the end of the season. Photo by: Phil Noble

Everton will target Roberto Martinez if David Moyes decides to quit the Merseyside club at the end of the season.

Moyes reached 11 years in charge at Goodison Park last week but Wigan boss Martinez spoiled any celebrations with his team’s crushing 3-0 victory in their FA Cup quarter-final.

While Moyes says he will wait to see how the season ends before he commits himself, he could be tempted by a job in the Premier League or abroad, particularly in Germany, where Schalke are the latest to show interest.

The Everton boss is set to have talks with chairman Bill Kenwright about the way he would like the club to go but he said recently: “The way I’m hearing the players talk, they are as ambitious as I am and probably a lot of futures hinge on where we finish and what we do during the rest of the season.” Martinez is seen as an ideal replacement, having performed brilliantly to keep Wigan in the Premier League over the past three seasons. He faces another battle to avoid relegation but his achievements, especially in guiding them to their first-ever FA Cup semifinal, will put him high on the wish list of a number of clubs this summer.

He was linked with Liverpool before Brendan Rodgers took over and has remained loyal to Wigan chairman Dave Whelan, despite several opportunities to move on. But the 39-year-old Spaniard remains ambitious and the chance to manage one of England’s most established football clubs would be hard to resist. - Daily Mail