Koeman’s out to stop Stones exit
RONALD KOEMAN’S first job at Everton will be to try to persuade young guns John Stones and Romelu Lukaku to stay at Goodison Park.
Koeman is due at Everton today after agreeing a near £6million contract to take over from sacked Spaniard Roberto Martinez as Everton’s new boss.
But Koeman will attempt to make contact with the pair before Euro 2016 starts on Friday to outline his plans to move Everton forward.
An announcement confirming the deal is thought to be imminent after Everton’s new owner Farhad Moshiri agreed to pay up the remaining year of Koeman’s contract at Southampton.
Funds
Koeman’s impressive record at Southampton where he finished seventh and sixth in his two seasons at St Mary’s,winning 44 of his 91 games in charge, made him Everton’s number one target after they dumped Martinez.
The Dutchman’s ability to manage without splashing huge funds in the transfer market was a bonus – but he’s been assured by Moshiri he will be given a sizeable war chest this summer.
More crucially, he was assured that Everton don’t intend to be a selling club and want to keep their best players.
That’s the immediate issue facing new boss Koeman with both Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Barcelona all eyeing 22-yearold centre-back Stones.
A year ago Everton slapped a £40m price tag on the England youngster. Then Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho had started an aggressive public campaign to snap him up while the Toffees were taking part in the Barclays Asia Trophy tournament in Singapore.