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Everton are embroiled in a bitter contract row with former boss Ronald Koeman - after it emerged that the Blues are effectively paying the bulk of the Holland manager’s wages in his new post.

The Blues made Koeman one of the Premier League’s highest paid managers when he was appointed on a three year contract worth £6m-a-year in June 2016.

He was sacked in October, following a disappointing start to the season, and appointed Holland’s national team coach in February.

But it has since emerged that his salary as Dutch coach is less than 10 per cent of what he was earning at Goodison, and under the terms negotiated following his dismissal Everton are making up the shortfall.

Everton were infuriated when details of Koeman’s Dutch salary emerged and the club is seeking legal advice.

It is the second time Everton have been stung by managerial severance packages in recent years.

Koeman’s predecessor, Roberto Martinez, received an eye-watering one-off payment of more than £10million after being sacked in May 2016.

Lawyers representing the Blues attempted to reduce the figure in protracted negotiations with Martinez’s legal team but a clause in his contract demanded that he be paid the remaining three years of his deal — which added up to nearer £12m.

(Image: Jason Roberts)

In the end an agreement was reached after an independent hearing in London at between £10m and £11m.

It appears that Koeman’s representatives have negotiated a similar package for their man, with Everton making up the difference between the wages he would receive from a new employer and the £6m he was earning at Everton.

But Everton smelled a rat when they learned that Koeman’s salary as Dutch coach is only marginally more than Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill, Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic and Iceland boss Lars Lagerback were earning at Euro 2016, while Austria coach Marcel Koller was earning almost twice as much.

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The deal Koeman signed with Everton deal still has a further 16 months to run.

Koeman was unveiled as Dutch coach in February. A national icon he was a popular appointment.

A statement by the Dutch FA at the time read: “The KNVB has reached an agreement with Ronald Koeman over his appointment as the Dutch national team coach.

“Koeman has just signed a contract that ties him to Oranje with immediate effect up to and including the 2022 World Cup.”

But significantly there was no detail of salary.

Everton have declined to comment.