Everton FC v AFC Bournemouth - Premier League Everton fans outside the stadium before the Premier League match between Everton FC and AFC Bournemouth at Goodison Park on May 28, 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Liverpool Goodison Park England United Kingdom PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUK Copyright: xWillxPalmer/Sportsphoto/APLx 13947863
Seven weeks on from Michael Oliver blowing to end Everton’s season in a mess of controversy, the players are back at Finch Farm to prepare for a new campaign.
The Blues started arriving at the training ground from 8am with club captain Seamus Coleman the first through the door ahead of a day of fitness checks.
For most of the squad it marks the end of their summer holiday. A lot has happened since Oliver decided Arsenal’s late winner should not be ruled out for handball in the final game of last season. Here is an overview of a busier-than-normal close season for Everton.
The contentious 2-1 defeat at the Emirates was not the most dramatic experience of Everton’s May. That was instead reserved for a few days later when the deal that could have seen 777 Partners take control at Goodison officially came to an end. A process that started with ambitious proclamations the previous September and which saw the US investment group pump almost £200m into the club looked destined to unravel for weeks before it did as the group became swamped in litigation and financial issues, all while failing to get its deal signed off by the Premier League.
The expiration of its share purchase agreement with Blues majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri allowed new bidders to enter the fray. From a complex web of rival bids and vested interests it was another US outfit, the Friedkin Group, that emerged in pole position. That group, owned by Texas billionaire Dan Friedkin, who also owns Roma, is now conducting due diligence on the club as it uses its own exclusivity period to explore a potential takeover.
Four players who made the bench for that season finale at Arsenal are no longer with the club – two because their contracts expired at the end of June. Academy graduates Lewis Warrington and Mackenzie Hunt have now left, with Hunt agreeing a deal with League Two side Fleetwood Town. Other first team squad players who have left following the end of their contracts include Andy Lonergan, who has moved to a player/coach role at Wigan Athletic, and Andre Gomes.
Gomes wrote a heartfelt message to Blues supporters upon confirmation of his exit, the 30-year-old stating: “My time with the blue shirt came to an end. But I have to tell you how proud I am for all these years. This club is full of history, with big moments, but also with difficult situations that should make us learn from that. But both situations have one thing in common: your passion for this wonderful football club.
“The love, the relentless fighting spirit, the hard work. For me, there is another word that defines how special you are: Family. Going through ups and downs, emotions and amazing atmospheres, you never gave up on us. You never give up on the person next to you, and that is what community is all about. There are no words to describe the impact you have on helping others. I am very fortunate and thankful for all the experiences and moments we shared together.”
While those players have now left, Ashley Young, Idrissa Gueye and Coleman will all be part of Sean Dyche’s plans this season. The club activated a clause in Gueye’s contract to keep him on Merseyside for a further year while Young and Coleman have both signed 12 month extensions.
