Roberto Martinez confirmed his departure from Wigan Athletic following the club's relegation from the English Premier League, with the Spaniard now set for a move to Everton.
The Toffees are looking for a new manager after David Moyes left the club to take over at Manchester United, and have shortlisted Martinez as one of the candidates to replace the Scot, who had 11 successful years with the club.
Everton are also looking at two other candidates, but with Martinez leaving Wigan and set for talks with Toffees chairman Bill Kenwright, it looks very likely that the talented manager will be given the job at Goodison Park.
Dave Whelan held talks with Martinez Tuesday, after which the Spaniard expressed his desire for a new challenge, with the Wigan chairman then giving Everton permission to talk with their manager.
"Roberto wants to move on and I have got to accept it," Whelan said. "Everton rang me and I said they have permission to talk to him. I would never stop Roberto talking to football clubs.
"We will let him go but he's on a 12-month rolling contract so if he moves someone will have to buy him out of his final year.
"We are still friends, we will always be good friends and he will always be a friend of Wigan Athletic."
The compensation is expected to be around £2 million ($3 million), with Whelan admitting Wigan's relegation to the Championship was a big factor in Martinez's decision to leave.
"He does not feel he is up to the task of getting us back into the Premier League," he added.
"Football is football and I understand where he is coming from.
"Everton are a nice club and have a great chairman in Bill (Kenwright) and he is an honest man."
Martinez has also been linked with the job at Stoke, but it is believed the Potters are set to appoint Mark Hughes as their new manager, while Malaga have been touted as a possible destination for the former Swansea coach with Manuel Pellegrini set to leave and take over at Manchester City.
