Ancelotti in line for Real Madrid return if compensation agreed with Everton
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Real Madrid are confident of reappointing Carlo Ancelotti as manager providing they can agree the termination of his contract with Everton.
Ancelotti has three years remaining on the £11m-a-year deal he signed at Goodison Park in December 2019 and only recently dismissed the possibility of returning to the Bernabéu as Zinedine Zidane’s successor. Madrid’s president, Florentino Pérez, however, has made a determined effort to rehire the coach he sacked a year after winning the Champions League in 2014 and compensation with Everton is understood to be the only obstacle remaining.
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The 61-year-old guided Everton to a disappointing 10th-place finish in his first full Premier League season with the club but was instrumental in attracting James Rodríguez and Allan to Merseyside. Together with the director of football, Marcel Brands, Ancelotti has been working on Everton’s transfer targets for this summer and his departure would represent a severe blow to the majority shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, in his quest for stability under a high-profile manager.
Moshiri will be seeking the sixth permanent managerial appointment of his tenure should Ancelotti exit after only 18 months. David Moyes, who guided West Ham to sixth in the Premier League and European qualification last season, was a strong contender to replace Marco Silva before Ancelotti became available following his sacking by Napoli. He is likely to be considered again should Madrid succeed in luring Ancelotti away.
The Italian, one of only three managers to have won the Champions League/European Cup on three occasions, was asked about the possibility of rejoining Madrid on 18 May. He replied: “This is good publicity for me to be linked with Real Madrid but it is not true. I am really happy to stay here. We have difficulties of course but I feel good at Everton and my target is to make Everton better and better every year.”