Paulo Fonseca is a manager Everton have spoken to before and is an individual they like, says journalist Paul Brown.
Rafael Benitez's time at Goodison Park is over after the Spaniard was dismissed from his post earlier today following another poor result against Norwich City. The Toffees are now looking for a new man for the dugout, and Fonseca - currently without a job - could be an option for them.
How have Everton performed under Benitez this season?
Terribly. Their 2-1 defeat to Norwich at Carrow Road was their 10th loss of the Premier League campaign, leaving them in 16th place.
In total, Everton have only won five league games this term and endured an awful run of form from October to the beginning of December.
During that period, the Merseyside club went on a run of eight games without victory, losing six times.
Taking all of that into account, it makes it no surprise that Everton have arrived at this point.
What has Brown said about Benitez and Fonseca?
In terms of potential replacements for Benitez, Brown would not be surprised if Everton and Farhad Moshiri turned to Fonseca, telling GIVEMESPORT that he is a manager that they like.
On the former AS Roma boss, the Daily Star journalist said: "He's someone who I think Everton spoke to before when they were looking for a new manager, quite liked him."
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Would Fonseca be a good appointment?
All things considered, the answer is probably yes. Fonseca has managed some good European clubs, including Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk and Porto.
At Shakhtar particularly the 48-year-old impressed, taking the club to three Ukrainian league titles while also winning a hat-trick of Ukrainian Cups.
As explained by Eurosport, Fonseca is also a manager who wants his team to dominate and attack, something Everton fans probably want to see after a very drab season at Goodison Park so far.
Ultimately, with it being the middle of the season, Everton may not have too many options. Fonseca is available after leaving Roma last year and has a lot of experience at a good level, so Moshiri could do a lot worse.
Simply put, the decision to bring Benitez, an ex-Liverpool legend, to Goodison Park was a poor one and one fans were against. Moshiri's next appointment has to be a good one or things could get real ugly, and Fonseca certainly has the potential to be just that.