Manchester City director James Smith to return to Everton in recruitment role
Manchester City's director of scouting and recruitment James Smith is leaving the club and is expected to re-join Everton.
Smith's anticipated return to Goodison Park – where he was head of technical scouting from 2003 during David Moyes' first spell in charge, before following the Scot to Manchester United in 2013 – would continue a behind-the-scenes revamp under new chief executive Angus Kinnear.
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There is a healthy relationship between the Premier League sides and talks over Smith's return to Merseyside have been amicable.
Smith has been placed on gardening leave by City, who are also restructuring their set-up under new director of football Hugo Viana.
Viana is picking up where his predecessor, Txiki Begiristain, left off in aiming to strengthen the link between senior and youth levels at the Etihad Stadium.
A reunion of Moyes and Smith will be seen by many as a coup for Everton, with the former highly-regarded in the game after his work at the two Manchester clubs.
Smith would effectively replace Dan Purdy, Everton's former head of recruitment who The Athletic revealed in April had decided to leave.
Purdy has since joined former Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell at Rangers.
Everton's new set-up also includes Nick Hammond as head of trading/negotiating, having joined from Leeds United, and Chris Howarth, the head of strategy.
They are also hoping to install a new head of football operations following a process being handled by executive search firm Nolan Partners.
Former Leeds director Kinnear, to whom Smith will report, started his role last month following the decision by new owners, The Friedkin Group (TFG), not to renew Thelwell's contract in a major executive overhaul.
It promises to be a pivotal summer transfer window for the Merseyside club before they head into their new stadium with 15 players, at one stage, set to see their deals expire at the end of June.
It has already been announced that three of that group, Ashley Young and backup goalkeepers Joao Virginia and Asmir Begovic, are to leave the club.
Midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure will also depart after turning down a new deal, but Everton have exercised the €15million purchase option to make Carlos Alcaraz's loan from Flamengo permanent.
Everton remain in talks over a new deal for veteran midfielder Idrissa Gueye.
(Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images)
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