From Chris Bascombe,
"Everton
have been rebuffed by Watford in their attempt to speak to their prime managerial target Marco Silva.
Representatives of the Merseyside club’s majority shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, contacted the Hertfordshire club on Monday morning but were told Silva will not be allowed to leave Vicarage Road this season.
Silva has no release clause in his Watford contract. Given the turmoil it would cause, there is little to indicate at this stage Watford will waver.
The Hornets do not wish to entertain any further approaches as they are adamant they cannot lose a coveted manager halfway through a campaign. Silva has been in charge for just 11 Premier League games.
Everton must now decide their next move. It would take a considerable compensation fee to shift Watford from their stance and even that has no guarantee of success.
That Everton have decided to make any kind of formal move would suggest a degree of confidence Silva is interested in talking to the Goodison board. It is a situation with echoes of the one Ronald Koeman faced when he left Southampton for Goodison Park, something Saints initially insisted he could not and would not do. The key difference in that case is the approach was made at the end of a season and the Dutchman - whose contract was running out - forced his club to negotiate. Silva may find it more difficult to take such a position given how little time he has spent at Watford - he only arrived in the summer - but he may see the ambition of Moshiri and presume a handsome pay hike should he move now rather than risk waiting until the summer.
Everton must determine if their need for a manager immediately would make any compensation worth paying, and how far they are prepared to go. Moshiri’s move will also have repercussions for the alternative targets.
Sam Allardyce was under consideration but there was hesitancy about the possibility of employing him in anything but a short-term measure. Burnley’s Sean Dyche was also a candidate,
while caretaker coach David Unsworth is still the man in possession ahead of this weekend’s trip to Crystal Palace – a crucial fixture at the foot of the table.
All three are now aware Silva is the preferred choice.
Koeman was sacked on Oct 23 after which Everton opted to give Unsworth four fixtures prior to reviewing the situation during this international break. It would seem a move for Silva was complicated by the fact Everton’s last home game before that break was against Watford. A move then would have been even more contentious. West Ham, who just appointed David Moyes, are also thought to have expressed interest in Silva but were given similarly short shrift before moving on."