Everton’s pursuit of
Carlo Ancelotti was more than two years in the making.
Everton’s ambitious majority investor Farhad Moshiri has wanted a truly world-class manager
ever since he took over in February 2016. He thought he had one in Ronald Koeman but,
when the Dutchman’s spell in charge flatlined in his second season, Moshiri decided to try
again.
After dispensing with Koeman, he began a pursuit for a manager who really would bring the A-list
to a region he had called the Hollywood of football. He turned to Ancelotti. It was a
similar time of year. The call first went out to the Italian in November 2017 as Moshiri
attempted to lure him out of a planned spell relaxing away from the game following his
sacking by Bayern Munich two months earlier.
Ancelotti’s representatives were intrigued and impressed with what Everton had to say,
but the former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager was reluctant to join a club mid-season, preferring
to wait until summer 2018.
The suggestion in some quarters was that Ancelotti wanted a clean slate, a summer transfer window,
lots of money to spend and former Swansea manager Paul Clement as his assistant. Everton
needed someone there and then, eventually turning to Sam Allardyce. The following May,
a week after Moshiri sacked Allardyce, his dream target Ancelotti was unveiled as Napoli’s
new manager on a three-year contract.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago and, once again, Moshiri needed a new manager. He had
dispensed with Marco Silva on December 6, and the pressure was on to finally find the
man who can revive the fortunes of a club in which he has – under his watch - invested
almost half a billion pounds on transfers alone.
Meanwhile, despite guiding Napoli through the group stages of the Champions League on
December 10, Ancelotti was looking for work again after being sacked by Aurelio de Laurentiis.
Moshiri wasted no time getting in touch. The wider footballing community wasted no time,
incidentally, in arching a quizzical eyebrow.
But Moshiri thinks big and has always craved a big name.
A well-placed source recalls the owner speculating aloud during one of his first recruitment
meetings over the possibilities of signing Cesc Fabregas and Mesut Ozil, as well as Joe
Hart, who at the time highly thought of both for England and Manchester City.
The summer after sacking Koeman he sounded out Diego Simeone for the job of manager.
Simeone’s people did not dismiss the approach straight away.
After firing Silva, approaches were made to Mauricio Pochettino, out of work having been
sacked by Tottenham on November 19. The Argentine wasn’t interested but it set the tone for
the type of manager Moshiri really wanted — even if he would allow others to suggest
more predictable names in the wider search for a new boss.
Now, emboldened by the support of someone with a track record of making things happen
in football, he tried again for the man he had always wanted.
Moshiri knows fellow Iranian Kia Joorabchian from his time at Arsenal and the businessman
is a trusted ally. The Athletic understands that, in the past, Joorabchian has been asked
for his thoughts on important decisions, including the dismissal of former manager Marco Silva
and the prospective appointment of Vitor Pereira.
It was actually Joorabchian who suggested Everton could move for Ancelotti. The former
Chelsea manager had initially been in the frame for the Arsenal job, only for the north
London club’s head of football, Raul Sanllehi, to veto a move in favour of the younger Mikel
Arteta.
It was a turn of events that are believed to have disappointed Ancelotti, but the feeling
in agents’ circles, particularly those in the capital, was that the Italian nevertheless
remained keen on a swift return to management, with a Premier League club his priority.
Everton, for their part, had seen Pereira, the early favourite, rule himself out of the
running on Tuesday December 9. A host of other candidates were mooted. Chairman Bill Kenwright
suggested Arteta, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe or a return for David Moyes, while Red
Bull’s head of sport and development Ralf Rangnick was also discussed.
The Athletic understands that Moyes was the closest of the trio to joining, with a deal
at one stage appearing likely. It is thought he felt the job was as good as his and was
subsequently unimpressed by the mixed signals he received as Everton’s interest faded.
Moyes is even believed to have withdrawn from a spot on BT Sport’s coverage of Saturday’s
game, focusing on his ex-player Arteta, so he was not placed in a difficult position
discussing his situation.
Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery was another to meet with Moshiri and Kenwright. Ancelotti’s
sacking from Napoli and ensuing availability, however, changed the equation completely.
Sensing an opportunity to finally snare the “Hollywood manager” Moshiri has always
desired, the pair made tentative first steps by contacting Ancelotti’s representatives
about a possible move.
Despite reports to the contrary, Ancelotti did not travel to Merseyside for talks the
Monday prior to his appointment. High-level meetings of this nature nearly always take
place in London, where both Moshiri and Kenwright are based.
Instead, the Italian flew to the capital a day later for talks on the Tuesday, where
he was represented by his new agency Base Soccer. Then came the mind-boggling contract
proposal (worth in the region of £11 million a year before tax) and the promise of a huge
transfer war chest. A source with knowledge of the deal suggested to The Athletic that
Ancelotti is likely to receive a “very big budget” to help revamp the Everton squad
in his image.
By Tuesday afternoon, real momentum had developed behind the deal. Ancelotti had been won over
during a process in which he grilled the Everton board as much as the other way around. He
insisted on a long-term contract and has gradually been convinced by the “sincerity and ambition
of the owner”.
With Ancelotti and his people agreeing in principle to join Everton, all that was left
to tie up were a few of the finer details.
With those matters finally resolved, Ancelotti signed a four-and-a-half year contract early
on Saturday. Sources have suggested that Ancelotti will earn an annual net salary of around £6
million. It represents another substantial investment in the future of the football club,
given that Moshiri will also continue to pay the wages of former manager Silva until such
time as the Portuguese finds employment again in football.
“The lads are buzzing to work with Ancelotti,” said a source close to the first-team. “He’s
supposed to be excellent at building very good relationships with the players. He’ll
also attract big name players, so when he comes in on his first day the squad will want
to impress him to make sure they’re part of his plans.”