Eddie Howe does not have the approval of 'one senior Everton official' amid the club's search for a new manager, according to the Liverpool Echo's Sam Carroll.

The lowdown

The Toffees are hunting for a new manager after Carlo Ancelotti left to rejoin Real Madrid last week.

A report from the Daily Express suggested that former Bournemouth boss Howe was pushing for the vacancy at Goodison Park. Celtic expected the Englishman to take over in Glasgow, only for him to walk away from the deal (via BBC Sport).

Everton want a boss who can lead them into Europe after finishing 10th in 2020/21, but a number of fans seem to doubt Howe's credentials for the role, scoffing at the report that he was keen on the Goodison Park job.

The latest

Carroll addressed the matter in an article for the Liverpool Echo which he also shared on Twitter, giving his "thoughts on the lazy rumours and what one senior Everton official thinks of Howe".

An official 'involved in the managerial search' apparently won't give the 43-year-old his backing - instead, it is the former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo who is named as the favourite for the role.

Howe could prove to be a contender for the Everton job in the future, but only after enhancing his reputation elsewhere.

The verdict

Howe's achievements at Bournemouth were remarkable, guiding them from the bottom of League Two to spending five seasons in the Premier League, but you can understand the desire to appoint someone with experience in Europe rather than taking more of a gamble.

Nuno has that latter check-point, having led Wolves into the Europa League in their first season back in the top flight. They commendably made it all the way to the last eight, where they were beaten by eventual winners by Sevilla.

Based on the respective manager's accomplishments, it's hard not to feel that Nuno may indeed be a preferable candidate to Howe for the Everton job.

In other news, a football finance expert made this claim about the funds available to the new Everton manager.