Everton mailbag: Dyche’s future, 777’s takeover and the Merseyside derby

The futures of manager Sean Dyche and director of football Kevin Thelwell, 777 Partners’ proposed takeover, and Wednesday’s Merseyside derby are all on the agenda in our latest Everton mailbag.

Thanks, as ever, for your questions and apologies if we didn’t get to yours.

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Sam S: Do you see Dyche in charge next season?

There were rumours (elsewhere) a few months ago that the club would look at Dyche’s situation in the summer given he only has one year left on his contract. The message then was that movement either way was only likely to come once we have clarity on the bigger, existential issues at the club.

There is so much that needs to happen first — the relegation battle, resolution on the ownership etc — and all of that will have a bearing on what comes next.

The initial noises from 777 were positive about Dyche, but that was, admittedly, before the slump in results from mid-December.

Everton would also need to have the financial capacity to make a change if that’s what they wanted. At present, that appears beyond them. I also think there’s an acknowledgement internally that the churn of managers has harmed them both financially (including in a PSR sense) and on the pitch.

Amassing 38 points, a tally they would have accumulated without the deductions, would leave them mathematically safe with five games to play — a clear improvement, footballing-wise, on the last couple of seasons when campaigns have gone down to the final week. That said, I’ve found post-Christmas results and some of Dyche’s recent comments more concerning.

Andrew H: Will we extend Thelwell past this season?

A lot of the above is relevant here, too, as Thelwell will also be into the final year of his contract this summer.

He’s viewed — both at Everton and in the wider game — as a safe pair of hands working in very challenging circumstances. But it is, of course, difficult to gauge the ceiling when the situation is so specific. He, and others, will hope for more wriggle room financially to really show what they can do.

Clarity would be helpful for everyone. It would be a surprise, I think, if the club didn’t want to extend. They really do not need any more upheaval.

Matt D: Is the uncertainty over relegation influencing the painfully slow speed of the 777 takeover? Can we expect something before the season ends?

My strong suspicion is that it’s more about their ability or otherwise to meet all of the conditions of the deal.

The stumbling block at present is the repayment of the £158million ($195.9m) loan to MSP, with Deloitte (initially employed by Moshiri to secure investment) now tasked with helping 777 in their search for that financing. That’s the big one and they’ve been granted an extension of weeks, not months, from the original April 15 deadline.

For what it’s worth, 777 maintains it is confident of meeting the other conditions: £60million into escrow; the final tranche of stadium financing, thought to be around £90million; and turning their loans (currently totalling around £160million) into equity. Those close to Moshiri insist he is intent on completing the transaction with 777.

It looks like a resolution will have to wait a while longer, until close to the end of the season.

Joseph T: What happens if 777 or Moshiri does not pay back the MSP loans? What if MSP were to “take control”? Does that count as going into administration?

As has been widely reported, MSP could already have taken control of the club with a 51 per cent shareholding on April 15. It speaks volumes that they didn’t.

Instead, 777 has been granted more time to try to get its takeover over the line.

There are two readings of that and neither is particularly favourable. One: MSP does not want to have a controlling influence on Everton. Two: it is buying itself more time to see how it goes. I think the first is more plausible than the second given how this has played out so far.

In the unlikely event MSP did take control, it would need to provide the same level of funding as 777 to keep the club going.

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James M: Surely Liverpool will target Ashley Young on Wednesday night — would Ben Godfrey be a better choice?

Liverpool will almost certainly target whoever plays there!

Seamus Coleman would be my choice when fit – Dyche said on Tuesday that the Irishman is “back on the grass but won’t be ready for Liverpool” – but I’ve no strong preference out of Young and Godfrey.

Young is more experienced and better on the ball but could easily have given away at least one penalty against Forest, while Godfrey is quicker but less positionally astute. I think it’s more about finding a way of helping whoever plays there on Wednesday.

It’s one area they will have to address over summer, with Coleman among those out of contract.

Sean C: What is the striker situation looking like for Wednesday?

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has a knock — a bang to the knee, as Dyche described it — but is expected to be OK, while Beto will be observing ‘Return to Play’ protocols after suffering a head injury against Forest. Football Association guidance is a minimum of six days, in effect ruling him out of Liverpool and Brentford.

That might leave a door open for Youssef Chermiti, for whom there are very high hopes, to get some more minutes. It would be a tough ask to throw him into a Merseyside derby from the start though, as Ellis Simms found out last season.

Patrick L: What plans do we have for the summer and who is likely to be leaving from playing staff?

Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana are both likely to attract significant interest. Then we have the out-of-contract players like Idrissa Gueye, Andre Gomes, Coleman and Young, plus the expiration of Jack Harrison and Arnaut Danjuma’s loans.

Gueye’s deal contains a club option for a further year and he could well be retained, while Harrison’s situation is likely to be revisited at the end of the season.

It would be a surprise, at this stage, if Gomes stayed — even on a lower salary. He is on big wages, in excess of £100,000, and has been saddled with a patchy injury record. That’s not a great package for a club striving for more bang for its buck.

It could leave the club’s recruitment team with a lot of work to do, particularly in wide areas, but budgets are currently uncertain. I’m expecting another chaotic summer.

Timothy S: Is there a concern that transfer valuations will drop significantly in the first half of the summer because so many clubs need to sell to meet PSR requirements?

That will be the fear for a lot of clubs, with a fair few needing to sell before the June 30 cut-off. The situation will be complicated, too, by this summer’s European Championships.

Everton have experienced this already. Clubs knew they needed to sell in the summer of 2022 and initially low-balled them with offers for both Richarlison and Anthony Gordon. It is far from ideal and increases the risk of failing to maximise a player’s full value.

In their PSR hearing for 2022, they made the case — somewhat unsuccessfully — that they had failed to realise Richarlison’s market value of £80million due to those pressures.

Julian E: Will we see Dele in the final few games?

Dele is at Finch Farm working towards a return but is currently expecting to be back just after the end of the season.

I think the aim will be for him to be ready to have a go at a full pre-season and earn a contract — either at Everton or, perhaps more likely, elsewhere.

Bobbie R: What countries will we be scouting for players?

They cast the net pretty far, Bobbie. They are very active in France, for example, with a full-time scout there, and Phil Boardman has been brought in from Portsmouth to cast an eye over key European leagues in conjunction with the rest of the scouting network

I believe they see Scandinavia as a growth area and are far more active in South America now they have employed two scouts there.

On another note, they are still particularly keen on the emerging talent market and are actively looking to replenish the stocks immediately below the first team. Partick Thistle’s Ceiran Loney has been one player of interest, but he is also being courted by others, including Brighton. The 15-year-old Arsenal midfielder Demi Akarakiri is expected to join.

Everton are also currently looking for a new head of emerging talent after Dan Rice departed at the start of the month. Rice only joined at the end of last season and has taken a promotion at Wycombe Wanderers.

Alex G: Coby Ebere is looking good in the academy, but does anyone else stand out?

I’ve always liked under-21 midfielder Jenson Metcalfe — he’s technically sound and combative. It is interesting, too, that they’ve extended goalkeeper Harry Tyrer’s deal until 2026 after another positive loan at Chesterfield. He is well-regarded and might be needed in some capacity next season.

I see early promotions through the ranks as a tell-tale sign. Ebere, a pacy forward, is excelling in the academy ranks but is yet to make the breakthrough for the under-21s.

There are high hopes for midfielder Harrison Armstrong, who is now playing regularly for the second-string at 17, and goalkeeper George Pickford (no relation), also 17. Goalkeeper Douglas Lukjanciks, 16, is also well regarded, but it remains to be seen if he signs academy terms — there has been lots of interest in him.

(Top photo: Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)