Roberto Martínez clear to leave Wigan and join Everton

Everton are willing to pay around £2m to appoint Roberto Martínez as their manager after the 39-year-old informed Dave Whelan he wished to end his four-year reign at Wigan Athletic. Martínez was granted permission to speak to Everton by the Wigan chairman on Tuesday having decided against leading the FA Cup winners in the Championship next season.

Negotiations with Bill Kenwright, the Everton chairman, are expected imminently and the Goodison Park club are not deterred by a compensation fee in the region of £2m. The Spaniard could be confirmed as David Moyes's successor within days, providing talks run smoothly.

Martínez met with Aston Villa in 2011 and Liverpool last summer only to remain at Wigan, although Anfield officials maintain he was never offered the job that ultimately went to Brendan Rodgers.

Several clubs have shown interest in Martínez following a season in which he guided Wigan to a historic FA Cup success over Manchester City but also suffered relegation. However, only Everton have made an official approach for the former Swansea City manager and tempted him to sever his long association with the club, and chairman, that first brought him to English football in 1995.

Kenwright has considered several candidates to succeed Moyes since the Scot agreed to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United on 9 May. The Everton chairman has interviewed Phil Neville, David Weir and Alan Stubbs from within the club but Martínez, who guided Wigan to a commanding 3-0 win at Goodison Park in the FA Cup quarter-finals in March, is the only manager contracted to another club who has been approached. Kenwright sought advice from Moyes on his possible replacement and the United manager-in-waiting is a firm admirer of Martínez, though he also believed an internal candidate could take the Everton job.

Whelan revealed: "Bill Kenwright rang me last week and said if the talks with Roberto broke down, can he talk to him? Bill being the gentleman he is I said: 'Yes, you can have permission'. I have given permission immediately. I would expect and they would expect to pay the compensation. Everton are a fantastic club, local and similar to Wigan in how Bill controls it. They have a great fan-base and it is a happy club so I recommended to Roberto to go and talk to Everton."

Martínez held a series of meetings with the Wigan chairman last week before asking to consider his future, and the prospects of winning immediate promotion next season, over the weekend. He returned to Spain to discuss the future with his family before informing Whelan of his intention to leave.

"I've had a couple of meetings in the last week and today he says he feels it's time for him to move on and he is not equipped to take Wigan back into the Premier League," added Whelan. "I have to accept that. It is very unusual for a manager to say that but it shows his honesty. He is still under contract with 12 months left and he has asked to be released. He can be released but there will be some compensation but the amount is £2m. It is not a fortune and to get a manager like Roberto it is really cheap.

"It was a difficult decision because he loves Wigan and is in total control of the playing side. Had Wigan stayed in the Premier League this would not have come up. He blames himself for that but we've been so unlucky with injuries and he can't affect that. He is blaming himself a little too much. We're all sad to lose him but football being football I've got to get a manager to take us to the Premier League."