Everton face important week in takeover battle, contract negotiations and transfers

Every week is a big one for Everton and the coming seven days are set to be no different.

While other clubs and their supporters switch off during a relatively serene close season, the very future of the Blues will again dominate minds.

The collapse of the deal that would have seen 777 Partners take over Everton looked increasingly likely weeks before the US group missed its May 31 deadline to exercise its share purchase agreement with majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri.

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A combination of fraud allegations filed in a New York civil case, its Australian airline entering voluntary administration and protests and boardroom challenges at the football outfits 777 already owned were precursors to that setback for the organisation, one that ended any realistic hopes of it gaining control of the Blues after almost £200m of loans set against nine months of failed efforts to pass regulatory tests.

The takeover

Moshiri has since been able to listen to new bids for the club and the past few days have seen a flurry of interested parties emerge. There were already noises from Crystal Palace part-owner John Textor that, while he might not be able to leave Selhurst Park quickly enough to compete, Everton held genuine potential to investors.

Those words were backed up as Moshiri was hit with interest, including a bid fronted by local Blues supporters and wealthy businessmen Andy Bell and George Downing, backed by a fund that is supported by tech billionaire Michael Dell, a consortium fronted by London-based businessman Vatche Manoukian, and further inquiries.

There are competing claims over how close Moshiri is to announcing what would be his fourth period of exclusivity with a prospective owner, but it seems he has offers to assess. Expect more developments this week, including the potential emergence of other interested parties to what could soon become a crowded field.

On the pitch

Meanwhile, amid the uncertainty at the top of the club, Sean Dyche and director of football Kevin Thelwell still have a job to do off it. That will focus on protecting the squad they do have, a tough task given the anticipation the club will need to sell this summer and the club’s proximity to regulatory thresholds.

The departures of Andy Lonergan, Andre Gomes, who penned an emotional goodbye the other day, and Lewis Warrington and Mackenzie Hunt, two academy products who featured in the matchday squad; the expiration of Dele's contract; and the end of the loan spells of Arnaut Danjuma and Jack Harrison, mean a threadbare squad has become even smaller. Which makes the decisions of Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young, who have both been offered extensions, particularly significant. The two veterans have both dropped public hints they are keen to stay with Everton, so positive movement on their contracts is a distinct possibility.

The transfer window

That leads the club into the transfer window, which opens on Friday. Dyche’s pre-seasons are notorious and while the Blues are operating on a budget that might make it tough to be proactive in the market, securing arrivals before the start of pre-season would be helpful. The first fortnight of the window is also key from a Profit and Sustainability perspective.

The Blues are thought to be in danger of breaching for a third consecutive year, which could lead to another points deduction. The end of the football financial year comes at the conclusion of June and so ruthless rivals could seek to take advantage of Everton’s situation by moving for a key player in the coming weeks. Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana are among those who are of real interest. The Blues are not thought to be close to Wilfred Ndidi and Armando Broja deals, as has been reported elsewhere.