Everton continue to be pushed forward as an option for Roberto Martínez if he were to leave Belgium.
On November 9th, Het Belang van Limburg reported the Toffees ‘continue to follow’ the 49-year-old. His contract with the Royal Belgian Football Association [RBFA] expires on December 31st.
Frank Lampard is now in charge at Goodison Park. That has not stopped Martínez’s name being dragged into the mix by the Belgian media. Het Nieuwsblad have joined HBVL in discussing the Merseyside club as a possibility for the Spaniard.
The manager’s immediate focus will be on De Rode Duivels at the World Cup. With a deal expiring next month, the RBFA have held talks over his renewal. There were talks between the two parties last week, but they failed to find an agreement.
This ‘worries’ the RBFA as they face risk of losing the ex-Wigan Athletic boss. If Belgium were to struggle in Qatar, there may be pressure on the football association to part ways with the manager. It isn’t ideal to find a successor for Martínez since there are European qualifiers in March.
In the event Belgium make it to the latter stages of the 2022 World Cup, Martínez could demand a pay rise. He currently earns €3m per year.
Het Nieuwsblad state the coach, who is open to extending his stay with Belgium, is ‘calm’. If he leaves De Rode Duivels, Martínez is convinced he will soon receive offers. This is when the newspaper highlights interest from England.
It’s said Martínez’s ‘name is on the list of various clubs’, such as Everton. Het Nieuwsblad only mention the Toffees in their report, and no other clubs.
Prior to taking over the Belgium national team job in 2016, Martínez spent three years at Everton. It remains to be seen whether the Premier League side would make an attempt to reappoint their former manager in the near future.
Lampard’s side are just above the relegation zone in 17th place, one point ahead of Nottingham Forest, who are in 18th in the table.
