Marcelo Bielsa is set to turn down the opportunity to manage Everton down.

That’s according to a recent report from the Daily Mail, who claims the former Leeds United boss is not interested in taking over from Frank Lampard following the Englishman’s sacking at the start of the week.

Following Lampard’s dismissal, Bielsa, 67, quickly emerged as the favourite to replace him. However, with ex-Burnley gaffer Sean Dyche, 51, also in the running, Evertonians have been none the wiser as to who their next manager will be, but it appears the club are now getting closer to making an appointment.

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Because they’re out of the FA Cup and will now have a week off, it is likely the Toffees will have a new permanent manager in place by the time the side takes on league leaders Arsenal on 4 February – the leading candidate is no longer Bielsa though. The South American is believed to prefer to take charge at the end of the season and that has opened the door for Dyche to make a return to management after nearly 12 months off.

Securing a deal for the no-nonsense 51-year-old will take a bit more negotiating though. Understood to be demanding a longer contract than the one currently on offer, if the Toffees’ board are to land one of their top targets, they must do so quickly.

Everton are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table. Joint on just 15 points with Southampton, and with 18 games to go, whoever comes in must find a way to turn the club’s fortunes around before it’s too late.

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