The future of Everton Football Club is still an unknown at this point in time, with the protracted takeover by 777 Partners showing no signs of being completed.
The Toffees have endured an awful time over the past few seasons and have almost been relegated in the past two.
Ahead of their move from Goodison Park to a brand new, state-of-the-art stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, the club appear to be sinking in a mound of debt which will make life difficult when it comes to transfers in.
Certainly, if Sean Dyche, or whomever comes to the club in his stead, doesn’t have money to spend, the Toffees aren’t going to have a squad that befits such a grand new home.
Everton are unlikely to be taken over by 777 Partners
The last thing the club need is a relegation to the Championship but if things don’t turnaround soon, there’s every possibility that could happen.
Former Premier League co-creator, Jon Smith, doesn’t believe that the takeover will ever be done with 777 Partners, though he has sounded a positive note for the Toffees.
“777 Partners have got a lot of baggage that seems to be crystallising in all the wrong places and at the wrong time,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.
“That is now beginning to infiltrate the thinking of people who need to be on side with them, such as the Premier League, and this would indicate that this is a problematic position for them to continue to progress.
“Interestingly enough, the Everton supporters have possibly handed them a way out because at the recent AGM fans voiced their concerns regarding 777.
“That could be the kicker for 777 to say ‘look, supporters don’t want us now, obviously they’re the heartbeat of the club and so we will no longer be there.’
“MSP Sports Capital are a company that seems to be circling Everton at the moment and there will be others. I’m aware of the numbers by the way, and they are huge; into eight/nine figures, and I think there’s going to have to be a lot of potential Russian write offs to get the right owners in place.
“Everton won’t go down. Had they gone down I think they would’ve had to go into administration which, in a bizarre way, might have been the best solution. Don’t try telling that to someone who’s got blue in their veins though.
“They’re a wonderful club with a great history, good players and good support and I’m going to stick my neck out and say that I think it’s unlikely that the 777 takeover will happen now.
“Everton are big enough to attract huge money so if I was Moshiri, I’d do what I do very well at the moment and that’s do nothing at all because I think there’s going to be more interest from other parties.”
One of the English top-flight’s most storied teams, the glory days of the Howard Kendall era seem a long time ago now.
The ownership of the club need to accept the criticism that’s routinely come their way of late, and do the right thing for the organisation and its loyal supporters.
For Everton to even be close to going into administration denotes the seriousness of their situation, and goes to show that if the ownership don’t appear to have the club’s best interests at heart, any club is at risk of financial penalties and the potential of sailing close to the wind in terms of going out of business altogether.