ROBERTO MARTINEZ IS set to be appointed as Everton’s new manager after Wigan chairman Dave Whelan claimed he had agreed a compensation deal with the Premier League club.
Martinez was Everton’s top choice to succeed David Moyes at Goodison Park after leading Wigan to a shock FA Cup final victory over Manchester City. The 39-year-old confirmed he wanted to leave Wigan following the Latics’ relegation from the Premier League earlier this month and Whelan has granted his wish after negotiating compensation of around £1.5 million.
“Bill Kenwright (Everton chairman) and myself have agreed a deal,” Whelan told BBC Sport on Monday.
Martinez, who had snubbed approaches from Liverpool and Aston Villa over the last two years, is now expected to be confirmed as Everton boss later this week.
Martinez had already held talks with Everton with Whelan’s permission, but the compensation agreement means he is also free to discuss contract terms.
“He’d spoken to Everton because I gave them permission,” Whelan said. “When he came back he told me it had gone very well and he was probably in the last two or three on the list.
Then the chairman rang me and discussed the compensation deal with me, and we agreed that this evening.”
Although the Spaniard failed to keep Wigan in the top-flight this season, he is still regarded as one of the brightest young managers in England.
He had managed to keep Wigan competitive in the Premier League despite their status as one of the division’s minnows, avoiding relegation three times before this season’s drop, while also playing attractive football and showing a keen eye for a bargain buy.
Those qualities appear to have persuaded Kenwright to choose Martinez ahead of other leading candidates such as Porto boss Vitor Pereira and Red Bull Salzburg general manager Ralf Rangnick.
Martinez, who joined Wigan from Swansea in 2009, will be expected to build on the fine work of Moyes, whose impressive 11-year reign at Goodison convinced Manchester United to hire him as Alex Ferguson’s successor.
“After leaving Wigan, I think Everton is the next stop of Roberto before he goes to the very, very top,” Whelan said.
“Everton is run very similarly to Wigan, it’s a family-run club, a friendly club with a great bunch of supporters. They’re a bigger club than Wigan and it’s a super club. If he goes I will wish him nothing but the very best of luck.”
30 applications
Meanwhile, Milton Keynes Dons boss Karl Robinson and Martinez’s Wigan assistant Graeme Jones have been linked with the soon to be vacant manager’s job at the DW Stadium.
“We’ve got about 30 people who’ve applied for the job and I’ve not been able to interview one of them because of this agreement over the compensation, I didn’t want to jeopardise that,” Whelan added.
“In football there are always some good managers without a position. We’ve had some very good people apply for the job. I’m sure there are half a dozen top-class managers amongst them.”
Cmon the cats!!! The cream always rises
Great great win fair play to management made the changes when required.
TJ just fantastic.
As a KK man I didn’t see that happening. That soft 21m goal put a shine on the score. The young lads in KK a really after cutting their teeth in the league. It’s a joy to watch these 2 teams playing each other. Pure hurling.
@Jason Pierce: No bullshit and players thinking they are prima donnas deserving this that and the other under Cody.
Hurling skills exceptionally well imparted and your name or club mean nothing it’s all about the end goal All Ireland medals In Kilkenny. No sulking no county boards run by old dinosaurs and county secretary’s picking teams.
In short hats off to Cody and his players magnificent ambassadors for a simple game – players die with their boots on in other counties they want you to tie their laces
Tipp didn’t play at all in second half.
Rumours of Kilkenny’s demise greatly exaggerated
Still need a full back Padraig Walsh playing full back like a wing back, caught bad the last two games for two goals.
Unfair on him as he’s a class wing back.
Looking forward to a good battle here. I think Tipp will shade it with stronger panel but it is at Nowlan Park .
@Finnster: :)
C’mon Tipp!!!
That’s the young lads bedded in nicely, Cody rebuilding what could be a very good team
Plenty comments bout Kilkenny being a 1 man team relying on TJ but wot bout tipp Jason Forde got 2-12 & not a word bout it…..
@Ray Power: Ssssssh Ray sure if some folk can’t see a past that their better off, we all know Tipp would be fine without J Forde same as Cork without P Horgan Galway without Joe Waterford without P o Mahoney I could go on but yah know yourself lad tis all KKs fault.
@Dae Monicus: dats a fact
@Ray Power: An sure here’s another one lad KK are a one manager team! 20 national titles in twenty years with many different groups of players, like him or not that speaks for itself.
The Tipp bench should have a big say in the result.Tipp Abu
Great camogie coverage there. Don’t miss a beat.
Kilkenny relying on frees again, but in fairness to them they win an incredible amount if them and have done all league.
@James Doyle: really ? That all you got ?
Not a great game, KK would be lost without TJ Reid he is the glue keeping it together throughout the league . Also some playacting from both sides to get frees.
@Finnster: ya there fair reliant on tj both sides missing a few but without Reid kilkenny pretty average
@Back pass: Jason forde scored 2 12 of Tipp’s tally, would u not think that there screwed without him!???
@Back pass: Yeah, an average young team, beating a seasoned tipp team. Pretty average league champions.
@Finnster: lost all right…another piece of silverware though…Tipp were beaten all over in the second half. Crying the cats won again ?
@Finnster: and without Jason Forde Tipp brutal not up for the fight for a National title. Forde 2.12 only man that stood up. Tipp full back line big problem area. Fix quick or dry year again.
@Aidan Maher: in all fairness Finnster talks through his are. 18 from Forde and Kilkenny are a one man team.
What are tipp at? Ryan has lost the plot. We barely beat Limerick with the same tactic of high balls into the t-rex forward line. If they were in Africa at the height of the Ebola outbreak they still wouldn’t have caught any thing. Well done TJ Reid and your 14 apostles.
Hope Tipp stuff kk
Now it’s getting lively . Why can’t Tipp put Kilkenny to the sword ? On paper Tipp are by far a better team
@Finnster: there was never a game won on paper
@Finnster: because they are heartless.they are not called one in a row for nothing.
@Finnster: its called balls
I’ll take that Good game, fair play to Tipp tis early days but their a serious outfit who will I reckon be one side in the final later in the year, some good performances from KK time to crack open the suds.
Well done Kilkenny but the long grass awaits
Neither team imposing themselves,but still think Tipp will prevail
@Michael Sage: completely wrong there my friend no full back line and big questions now heading into the summer
Come on Tipp