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    Everton could be plunged into further financial turmoil as Premier League rivals threaten £100m lawsuits

    EVERTON face further financial chaos if five rival clubs have taken up their right to sue — and the Toffees could be hit for more than £100million.SunSport understands that at least one of Burnley, Leeds, Leicester, Nottingham Forest and Southampton have signalled their intention to claim.Sean Dyche’s Toffees might see legal action from at least one top-flight rivalCredit: RexJordan Pickford and Co could see Everton face a financial nightmareCredit: PASean Dyche’s Goodison outfit earned a partial win when their ten-point punishment for breaching Prem Profitability and Sustainability Rules was slashed to six on appeal.But the initial November verdict came alongside a ruling by independent commission chairman David Phillips QC that rival clubs could demand compensation.He gave all five outfits 28 days from the Nov 17 publication of the findings to register their interest in making a claim.While the clubs approached have declined to make any comment, at least one planned to take legal action.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe confirmation in the appeal findings that Everton DID gain a “sporting advantage” by their PSR breach will add weight to any action.Burnley and Leicester are thought to have the strongest cases as they can argue they were direct casualties of Everton’s misconduct.Clarets went down in 18th place in 2021-22, the season Everton breached the three-term limit of £105m in “allowable losses”.And the Foxes took the same position last campaign, when the Goodison club was initially charged.Most read in FootballHOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALLBoth could argue they missed around £50m up front — the difference between the minimum Prem TV money and the parachute payment for relegation.They may also seek to include lost revenue from gate money and sponsorship plus the cost of ‘forced sales’ of players at knockdown prices.Every Premier League stadium ranked by the number of pubs nearby with one boasting over 130 local boozersThat list might include winger Harvey Barnes, who could have commanded more than the £38m Newcastle paid relegated Leicester last July.Leeds’ potential claim is likely to be just £3.7m — the difference in prize money between 18th and 19th — as they would have gone down regardless.Saints, who would have come bottom in any event, and Forest — who could open a floodgate for claims against themselves after being charged with a PSR breach in 2022-23 — are seen as less likely to have claimed. More

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    Barcelona to rival Man Utd and Arsenal for Amadou Onana transfer… but can get nowhere near Everton’s asking price

    BARCELONA will join the race to sign Amadou Onana – but only if Everton drop their £51m asking price.Like the cash-strapped Toffees, Barcelona have their own financial issues and cannot afford to go beyond £34m as things stand.
    Barcelona have joined the chase for Everton’s Amadou OnanaCredit: Getty
    But the Spanish giants are monitoring the midfielder’s situation closely.
    Everton will hope to generate an auction for Onana this summer.
    Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are all among the clubs to have him on their shortlist.
    The 22-year-old Belgian international arrived at Goodison Park from Lille for £33.5m after snubbing West Ham in August 2022.
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    He instantly became a key player under Frank Lampard.
    And he remains an integral part of the Toffees team under Sean Dyche as they fight relegation.

    Onana is under contract at Everton until 2027 after penning a five-year deal upon his arrival.
    Man United boss Erik ten Hag is also still keen to revive interest in Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.
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    The Old Trafford club have been linked with a £120m double swoop for De Jong and Nou Camp team-mate Ronald Araujo.
    If Barca received a big fee for one or both players, it would give them a better chance of competing for Onana without risking a breach of FFP rules.
    Every Premier League stadium ranked by the number of pubs nearby with one boasting over 130 local boozers More

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    Everton ‘have ambitious loan transfer bid for former Ballon d’Or winner’s son REJECTED by Juventus’

    EVERTON have allegedly failed with an audacious swoop to bring the son of a legendary Ballon d’Or winner to Goodison.Sean Dyche’s side are desperate for reinforcements as they battle for Premier League survival.
    Timothy Weah has snubbed the chance to join Everton on loan from JuventusCredit: Rex
    They have already been hit with a ten-point deduction for breaching FFP rules and could face another six-point one over the coming weeks.
    They currently sit one point above the drop zone but will enter the bottom three should Luton win their game in hand.
    Despite the financial troubles at Everton, Dyche is still desperately attempting to bolster his squad for the relegation war.
    The Guardian claim that they submitted a loan for Juventus star Timothy Weah.
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    The 23-year-old winger, who has 35 caps for USA, is the son of AC MIlan legend and ex-Chelsea striker George Weah.
    But he has no intentions at present of following in his father’s footsteps and heading to England.
    The report states that the player himself rejected the move to Everton despite him struggling for regular action with the Bianconeri this season.
    The ex-Lille and Paris Saint-Germain ace has mainly been deployed at wing-back and often restricted to cameos off the bench.
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    However, he would rather stay and fight for his place at Juventus than join Dyche and Everon’s relegation battle.
    Juve are currently in top spot in Serie A and sit two points ahead of second-placed Inter Milan.
    That advantage could be stretched to five this weekend when the Old Lady travel to Inter for a crunch clash.
    Meanwhile, his 57-year-old dad George starred for a host of top European teams such as Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan. 
    His success in France and Italy saw him win the Ballon d’Or in 1995 and he enjoyed brief stints in England with Chelsea and Manchester City.
    After retirement, Weah became a politician back in his homeland and served as the 25th president of Liberia from 2018 until last week.
    Elsewhere, Leeds have made an official loan approach for Everton’s Ben Godfrey.
    SunSport exclusively revealed Godfrey, 25, saw a £10m move to Serie A club Atalanta collapse as a result of the abolishment of favourable tax break rules in Italy.
    But Dyche has given the green light for the centre-back to leave Goodison Park as the club look to reduce their wage bill and help their case towards FFP rules. More

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    Leeds launch loan transfer bid for Everton defender Ben Godfrey after £10m Atalanta move collapses

    LEEDS have made an official loan approach for Everton’s Ben Godfrey.SunSport revealed Godfrey, 25, saw a £10m move to Serie A club Atalanta collapse this month as a result of the abolishment of favourable tax break rules in Italy.
    Godfrey’s move to Atalanta has fallen throughCredit: Getty
    But Everton boss Sean Dyche has given the green light for the centre-back to leave Goodison Park as the club look to reduce their wage bill and help their case towards FFP rules.
    The tax law, officially known as Crescita Decree, has been abolished.The law allowed high income earners from foreign countries a 50 per cent tax bill discount.
    Previously, it has been a big attraction for overseas players to join and increase the competitiveness in Serie A.
    The Crescita Decree is remarkably similar to the ‘Beckham Law’ in Spain, which allows high-income foreign earners to pay just 24 per cent income tax for their first six years in the country.
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    Beckham took advantage of it following his move from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2003.
    But the Italian equivalent no longer stands after discussions in the Italian Council of Ministers have led to the rule being binned, making Godfrey’s potential rule too expensive for Atalanta.
    Godfrey has struggled for game time this season and has made just three appearances in all competitions for Everton, including only one Premier League start.
    Godfrey, who has 18 months left on his deal, has made 80 appearances for the Toffees since signing from Norwich in 2020 for £25million.
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    Ben Godfrey has struggled for minutes this seasonCredit: The Sun
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    He has not featured regularly for Everton, however, since a broken fibula forced him to miss the opening half of last season.
    Daniel Farke’s fourth placed Championship side are eager for new additions this month as Leeds push for promotion straight back to the Premier League. More

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    Frank Lampard reveals Everton star told team-mates ‘don’t accept that’ after Carragher’s Monday Night Football rant

    FRANK LAMPARD singled out one Everton star for praise following his brief spell at Goodison Park.Lampard, 45, was appointed as manager by the Toffees on January 2022 but only lasted a year after 12 wins and 24 losses in 44 matches.
    Frank Lampard looked back at his time as Everton managerCredit: YouTube @The Overlap
    Chelsea legend Lampard had ‘amazing’ help from Everton captain Seamus ColemanCredit: Getty
    Jamie Carragher issued some scathing criticism towards Everton playersCredit: Rex
    Coleman issued a rallying cry to his Everton team-mates that led to a turning pointCredit: Alamy
    The Chelsea legend had to steer the ship during a challenging time for the Merseysiders both on and off the pitch but had help from an “amazing” veteran.
    And that was none other than Everton captain Seamus Coleman, 35, who always stood up for the club to motivate his players.
    Lampard specifically remembered how Coleman reacted after some scathing criticism from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, 45, during Monday Night Football.
    Carragher, who is a famous Everton fan despite spending his entire career playing for rivals Liverpool, said the players were “not good enough”.
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    But the Republic of Ireland international would have none of it and issued a passionate rallying cry to urge his team-mates to not accept that which ultimately led to a major turning point.
    Lampard told The Overlap via Sky Bet: “Seamus is amazing.
    “What a player, I remember playing against him and I didn’t really appreciate it until I worked with him – at that point he was 33.
    “It wasn’t just what he did on the pitch it was what he did off the pitch – his standards, his humility, everything about him.
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    “There’s not a bit of him that is not genuine, and he wore it on his face when we were struggling. He’d say, ‘I care’. He’d speak in front of the players on his own.
    “We spoke about you [Carragher] once at one point because you had a dig on Monday Night Football and said we’re not good enough – he used you as a reference point.
    “He was going, ‘Don’t accept that’. As players and managers we have to take some stick – but the only way to deal with it was to react to it.
    “It was a bit of a turning point for us – he was always the man to do that.” More

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    Everton suffer devastating blow as £500m takeover on brink of collapse just hours after Toffees hit with Prem charge

    THE £500million proposed takeover of Everton 777 Partners is almost certainly dead in the water.Or to be more specific at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea with the Bermuda Monetary Authority understood to have acted to place one of the American company’s subsidiaries, 777Re, under administration.
    Everton’s 777 takeover is on the brink of collapseCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
    The club are already facing a further points deductionCredit: PA
    The BMA action means finances worth around £2.4billion can no longer be accessed to complete the deal.
    There were already serious doubts over whether 777 founders Josh Wander and Steven Pasko would pass the Premier League’s fit and proper person test to become the Toffees’ new owners.
    777 have been given the green light by the Financial Conduct Authority but exactly three months on since Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri agreed to sell, the Prem have yet to see audited accounts from the Miami-based group – who also have interests in a clutch of other clubs around the world.
    The action by the BMA is not the only reported bombshell to have hit Moshiri, who on Monday saw his club hit by another Prem charge of breaching its profit and sustainability rules with Nottingham Forest also being held to account.
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    Investigative media platform Josimar also report that insurance company Haymarket is under investigation in Utah.
    Haymarket, which is understood to have provided the majority of its financial assets to 777Re, is under investigation for a suspected breach of financial rules by the US state’s Insurance Department which has the power to revoke its licence or put it into receivership.
    The moves from both financial authorities could effectively cut off any prospect of 777 moving into Goodison Park.
    At the same time Moshiri, who has invested £750m into the club since first starting to take control in 2016, could be left with no buyer and in charge of a club that is appealing one ten–point Prem penalty and now faces another which could add at least four more.
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    777 Partners are already understood to have poured £150m to keep Everton going and help fund the construction of the new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium which is expected to now cost far more than an initial £500m and which still needs around £200m to complete.
    The controversial American outfit have yet more financial woes to deal with.
    They are being pursued in the UK High Court over alleged unpaid aircraft leasing fees worth £22.4m.
    Yet that civil action is not even the half of it.
    Lawsuits against them total around £49m, including one worth £3.95m received in September last year for an unpaid security deposit relating to their New York office on Madison Avenue.
    It is also claimed that two 777 subsidiaries, Sutton Park Capital and Speed Leasing Company, took out loans worth a total of £8.85m last summer from hard money lender Balanced Management, based in Utah.
    The loans were agreed at an eye-watering interest rate of 52.5 per cent and guaranteed by 777 Partners.
    Yet it is understood no payment from them has been received by Balanced, who are now seeking damages of the money they lent, plus interest plus legal fees and costs over breach of contract.
    At a meeting with the government’s culture, media and sport select committee Prem chief executive Richard Masters confirmed any decision on 777 Partners’ takeover of Everton had been held up by unsatisfactory answers provided by the US fund.
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    Masters declared a final decision was still “weeks” away.
    But in light of the new financial allegations against them, 777 and the Bermudian freeze on the £2.4bn assets within the 777 Re financial framework, it is only a matter of time until the controversial American company either walk away from Goodison – or are told to do so by the Premier League. More

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    Man Utd star Hannibal Mejbri closing in on Premier League loan transfer with Ten Hag keen to get him playing regularly

    MANCHESTER UNITED midfielder Hannibal Mejbri is edging close to a move to Everton, after Sean Dyche made the player his “number one target”.Hannibal rejected the chance to play for Tunisia in the African Cup of Nations to force through a January transfer.
    Hannibal is closing in on a loan switch to Goodison ParkCredit: Getty
    Hannibal has struggled for game time so far this season
    And Old Trafford sources say he is close to agreeing a Goodison switch.
    The source said: “Everton want the player and Manchester United are happy for him to go out on loan. They’d prefer him to stay in the Premier League as it will provide a better barometer and benchmark for his abilities as a player.
    “If he can go out on loan to Everton and make an impression, he could force his way into content at United.
    “He’s highly thought of at United and by Ten Hag, but he will get more chances at Everton. Sean Dyche is a big fan, and he thinks the player can give them a different edge to their game. He’s become the number one January priority.
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    “He also wants to bring in a striker and a full back. But loan deals are likely to be the road he goes down to beef up his squad.”
    Our story comes one day after Hannibal was linked with a switch to Spanish giants Sevilla.
    The Tunisian has been a regular in match-day squads this season but has struggled for minutes on the pitch and is eager to get further experience of first-team football.
    United recently triggered a clause to extend Hannibal’s contract.
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    He was the subject of interest from a number of clubs over the summer and had the chance to join Besiktas on loan but the midfielder wanted to stay and fight for his place under Erik ten Hag after impressing at Birmingham in the Championship last season.
    However, with United having been knocked out of the Champions League and the Carabao Cup, opportunities for Mejbri could be limited in the second half of the season.
    The source added: “It’s unlikely any loan move will have an option for a permanent switch. Ten Hag wants to assess how Hannibal does and then make a firm decision about his future in the summer.” More

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    Everton star Ben Godfrey’s £15m transfer to Serie A giants falls through due to scrapping of ‘Beckham law’

    BEN GODFREY’S £15million move to Atalanta has broken down after Serie A lost their version of the ‘Beckham Law’.The Everton defender, 25, looked to be heading to Italy this month after falling out of favour with Goodison Park chief Sean Dyche.
    Ben Godfrey’s move to Atalanta has fallen throughCredit: Getty
    The deal has collapsed after Serie A scrapped their version of the ‘Beckham Law’Credit: Getty
    Godfrey was Gian Piero Gasperini’s top target following a glowing reference from ex-Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti.
    But talks over the fee and personal terms have ended following the announcement that the law, officially known as Crescita Decree, has been abolished.
    The law allowed high income earners from foreign countries a 50 per cent tax bill discount.
    Previously, it has been a big attraction for overseas players to join and increase the competitiveness in Serie A.
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    The Crescita Decree is remarkably similar to the ‘Beckham Law’ in Spain, which allowed high-income foreign earners to pay just 24 per cent income tax for their first six years in the country.
    Beckham took advantage of it following his move from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2003.
    But the Italian equivalent will no longer stand after discussions in the Italian Council of Ministers have led to the rule being binned, making Godfrey’s potential move too expensive for Atalanta.
    Now Godfrey, who has played three times for Everton this season, is back on the market with 18 months left on the deal he signed after joining in a £25million move from Norwich in 2020.
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    He has been limited to a single league start under Sean Dyche this term.
    The Toffees boss has instead preferred James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite during the current campaign.
    Godfrey has made just three appearances for Everton this seasonCredit: Getty More