By Wayne Veysey

29th Sep, 2023 | 10:14am

Sources: Everton agree deal with Portsmouth chief Boardman

Everton have agreed a deal to hire Portsmouth recruitment chief Phil Boardman, sources have told Football Insider.

The Merseysiders are beefing up their scouting team and have settled terms with the experienced talent spotter.

Boardman has agreed a deal to be a senior European scout for the Premier League club.

He is well known to Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell from their time working together at Wolves.

Thelwell himself is a recent addition to the Toffees backroom staff, having only been appointed in February 2022.

The ex-New York Red Bulls man has been tasked with improving recruitment at Goodison Park after years of mismanagement and bad spending – which now sees them in Financial Fair Play trouble.

He replaced Marcel Brands as the director of football for the Toffees.

Boardman, who was brought to Portsmouth in 2017 by former Wolves boss Kenny Jackett, has now been drafted in with Everton potentially set to add new faces in the January window.

Football Insider revealed on Friday (29 September) that Toffees boss Sean Dyche could be given a decent transfer budget for the January window if the club’s takeover clears.

US-based investment firm 777 Partners have agreed a deal to buy the Merseysiders but need ratification from the Premier League, Football Association and the Financial Conduct Authority before a takeover becomes official.

Everton have a reported net spend of more than £228million in the last ten years but remain in danger of relegation to the Championship.

Dyche’s side, who survived the drop on the final day of last season, have picked up four points from a possible 18 in the new campaign.

In other news, Everton £100m deal at risk of collapse after takeover twist.