Thursday 2 June 2016 18:05, UK
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman's odds to be the next Everton boss have been slashed following a surge of bets on the Dutchman.
Sky Bet have reported heavy backing for Koeman to take the vacant Goodison Park position over the last 24 hours, consequently cutting his odds from 11/1 on Wednesday night to just 1/2 by Thursday afternoon.
Reports suggest that majority investor Farhad Moshiri is promising a significant transfer budget and is willing to double the wages of Koeman, who has just a year to run on his contract at St Mary's.
Unai Emery and Frank De Boer had been considered the front-runners for the job but have now drifted out 5/1 and 14/1 respectively, with the latter having been odds-on following his departure from Ajax.
Koeman led Southampton to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League, five positions ahead of Everton, with Roberto Martinez losing his job as a consequence of the Everton's underachievement.
Sky Bet's Dale Tempest said: "We've seen relentless support for Koeman to get the job throughout the day despite significantly cutting his odds.
"You'd imagine Everton would have to be offering significant financial incentives to attract Koeman, which will be music to the ears of the Goodison Park faithful after a tough campaign.
"We actually rate both clubs the same in terms of their aspirations for next season at 12/1 apiece for a top-four finish, although this managerial move would see Everton's odds slashed and Southampton's drift significantly."
