Everton look to poach Leicester City's highly-rated talent spotter Steve Walsh by offering him director of football role
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football...h-leicester-citys-highly-rated-talent-spotte/
[article]Everton have made an audacious approach for Leicester's head of recruitment Steve Walsh and want him as their new director of football.
Walsh has been targeted for a crucial role at Goodison Park and is considering the move in a potentially damaging blow to the Premier League champions.
Telegraph Sport understands talks have been ongoing this week and Walsh has not travelled to Austria to join Claudio Ranieri and his squad for their pre-season training camp.
Sources have also claimed that Walsh, who is also Leicester's joint-assistant manager, has not been seen at the club in recent days.
Walsh is seen as one of English football's most highly-regarded recruitment chiefs after being
credited with the discoveries of Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy and N'Golo Kante.
Everton are revamping their structure under new head coach Ronald Koeman and want Walsh to make the move to Merseyside,
barely six weeks after he signed a new contract with Leicester. It is believed Everton will have to pay hefty compensation to land the former school teacher, who is still weighing up whether to leave the King Power Stadium.
Earlier this summer, Everton failed in a bid to lure Sevilla's transfer guru Monchi and Bill Kenwright, the chairman, has admitted a director of football is part of new owner Farhad Moshiri's long-term vision.
"It's something I wasn't used to so I didn't really know a lot about it because there seemed to be a lot of cross-fertilisation with my role," he said.
"But it is modern football and if you get the right one it is a big plus. We are talking to various directors of football and Ronald has worked with a lot of directors of football and will embrace that as well as the Everton way. So I would have thought yes, we are leaning towards appointing a director of football but Ronald has to be part of that process.
"Various first-rate people have been mentioned. What I have picked up in the last four weeks is it is an important role and if done right it can add to a football club."
With Leicester's defence of the title starting in four weeks, the departure of Walsh will be viewed as an untimely blow.
Walsh joined Leicester with former manager Nigel Pearson for a second spell in November 2011 and also works alongside fellow assistant Craig Shakespeare. Leicester have confirmed the approach. [/article]
