Carlo Ancelotti – Everton exit confirmed, Nuno Espirito Santo claim, Steven Gerrard eyed

Everton must hope Ancelotti keeps his word after answering Real Madrid question

As soon as Zinedine Zidane’s departure from Real Madrid was confirmed, some Everton supporters were bracing themselves for the inevitable rumours to raise their heads, writes Adam Jones.

The end of the bank holiday brought with it those reports splashed across much of the Spanish media – Los Blancos were interested in bringing Carlo Ancelotti back to the club.

It’s hardly a surprise for Blues supporters to read such reports. Whenever the La Liga giants are in need of a new boss, most of the world’s best are linked with the role at some stage.

Before Ancelotti, most of the conversation had centred around fellow countryman Antonio Conte, whose departure from Inter Milan last week shortly after claiming the Serie A title caught many by surprise.

Some believe 51-year-old is still the front runner, but many Spanish outlets are now reporting that talks with Ancelotti have been ongoing for a number of days.

And more worrying for Everton, those reports have continued into Tuesday morning.

But, it has to be pointed out that the Everton boss was asked about a potential Madrid return only two weeks ago – and he seemed pretty clear on the idea.

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Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has been linked with a return to Real Madrid