Watford Warn Everton Over Tapping Up Complaint as Toffees Continue Pursuit of Marco Silva

Watford are mulling over whether to report Everton to the Premier League over the alleged tapping up of head coach Marco Silva.

The Daily Mirror has reported that the Hornets may issue a formal complaint against the Toffees as the latter looks to make the 40-year-old their new permanent manager.

The same publication also revealed that Under-23s coach David Unsworth is set to helm the first team for Saturday's trip to Crystal Palace as the club's search for Ronald Koeman's successor drags on for almost a month.

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Watford rejected an approach from Everton for Silva on Monday, and had considered the matter closed after rejecting any attempts to prise him away from Hertfordshire.

However, rumours on Wednesday evening suggested that the Blues were plotting a second move for the Portuguese boss with the offer of a £70m transfer kitty to acquire new players in the January window.

The Toffees were also thought to be ready to offer him a sizeable increase in his salary - £3.5m-a-season from his £2.6m-a-year that he picks up currently, according to the Telegraph.

Watford owner Gino Pozzo is said to have been dismayed by Everton's ongoing efforts to prise Silva away after just six months at the Hornets helm, and will not entertain any further enquiries over his availability.

Silva is apparently available for around £10m despite there being no official release clause fee in the two-year deal he penned at Vicarage Road in the summer.

The ex-Porto and Hull boss is supposedly interested in seeing what Everton have to say, but Watford are unwilling to allow the promising gaffer to leave so soon into his tenure.

With Sam Allardyce ruling himself out of the running for the Goodison Park hotseat and talk on Sean Dyche going quiet, Unsworth is now set to reprise his caretaker role for at least another game.

The ex-Everton defender has overseen one win and three defeats from the four matches he has taken charge of since Koeman's sacking on 23rd October, and will do so again when he takes the club's senior side to Selhurst Park for a showdown with Palace.

Unsworth has the backing of chairman Bill Kenwright to become the club's new senior manager, but majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri wants a more prominent name to take up the reins on Merseyside.