Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri intensifies efforts to prise Marco Silva from Watford

Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri is set to intensify his pursuit of Watford boss Marco Silva and is preparing to increase his £8.5m ($11.2m) compensation offer in order to try and convince the Hornets to part with the much-admired Portuguese coach.

The Merseysiders are yet to appoint a permanent manager after sacking Ronald Koeman last month and have been linked with a whole host of proposed managerial candidates ranging from Diego Simeone to Sam Allardyce.

Their apparent hesitancy seems to be down to the differing ideas held by Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright. According to the Independent, Moshiri has made Silva his number one target and is prepared to double his wages and up his £8.5m ($11.2m) compensation offer in order to lure him away from Watford, who rejected Everton's request to speak to him on Monday (13 November).

Silva's contract with Watford does not contain a release clause, which gives the Vicarage Road outfit a stronger hold on the Portuguese. They rapidly rejected Moshiri's £8.5m compensation offer, and it remains to be seen how high the British-Iranian will go to in order to get Silva out of Hertfordshire.

Silva only joined Watford in the summer and is aware of how a prospective exit from the club will look, but the former Estoril and Hull City manager is said to be very tempted by the prospect of managing Everton and has designs on taking the reins at Goodison Park.

Everton spent £150m in the summer, by far the biggest outlay in the club's history, but Moshiri is willing to handing Silva a vast transfer warchest to revamp a squad in need of major surgery.

Moshiri is seemingly intent on recruiting a stellar name to take over from Koeman, who was relieved of his duties three-and-a-half weeks ago, but Kenwright was said to be willing to give caretaker manager David Unsworth the reins on a permanent basis, though three defeats from his four games in temporary charge have gone some way to diminishing his chances.

Unsworth is steeped in Everton's traditions and has made no secret of his desire to be appointed permanent manager of the senior team having impressed as the club's Under-23 boss, and Kenwright's penchant for romanticism led him to backing 'Rhino', who won the FA Cup with the Toffees in 1995.

With no appointment imminent, Unsworth will likely remain in charge of Everton for their trip to fellow strugglers Crystal Palace, who could be without Ruben Loftus-Cheek for the clash against the troubled Toffees after the midfielder suffered a back problem during England's draw with Brazil.