The ECHO takes a look at the biggest events and issues over what will be a pivotal summer for Everton

Everton are set for one of the most important summers in the club’s history.

On the pitch, director of football Kevin Thelwell and manager Sean Dyche have the best opportunity to reshape a squad that for years has represented the chaotic mismatch of ideas that has characterised the Farhad Moshiri era.

Off the pitch, the fate of the Blues hangs in the balance as the drawn out saga of 777 Partners’ takeover attempt looks set to collapse, creating fresh uncertainty around the ownership of the club. Those issues will be set against the backdrop of more battles with the Premier League over the profit and sustainability rules (PSR) that saw Everton suffer two points deductions this season.

There is a lot to sort out – particularly ahead of what will be an emotional farewell season to Goodison Park. Here are some of the key challenges and dates to look out for.

Reaching certainty on the current Everton squad

Everton moved early to address the state of play at the club over the summer. Thelwell set out how the coming months would look in his programme notes ahead of the last home game of the season against Sheffield United. While a transfer window in which the club accepts it will again have to consider selling its stars, and probably replace them with more savvy deals, is not one that will fill supporters with hope, it was a welcome showing of honesty that should help to manage expectations during a silly season of speculation.

Another blow to the rumour mill was struck by Thelwell on Friday when Everton relayed the club’s retained list. Andre Gomes and Andy Lonergan will depart, whileArnaut Danjuma will return to parent club Villarreal – none of those were a huge surprise. By triggering the extension in Idrissa Gueye’s contract and offering deals to Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young the Blues have made an early move to ensure they always retain the foundation of a squad this summer, and will next season be able to once again tap into huge experience. The next big news to come out of Everton will probably be the conclusion of those talks. At that point the rebuild can begin, whatever the budget.

The Championship play-off final (May 26)

One of the most lucrative games in world football, this is a match the Blues will be following keenly for two reasons. Firstly, the result will confirm who they will face next season. With it guaranteed to be another of the three relegated Premier League sides of last year, with Leicester City having secured automatic promotion, the likelihood is that next season will be tougher whoever wins. The return of Leicester and one of Leeds United and Southampton, two big clubs with pre-existing Premier League infrastructure, will pose a threat to those who flirted with relegation this season.

Secondly, as reported by the ECHO in advance of Friday’s announcement, Jack Harrison will return to Leeds this summer, but Everton are keen to get him back to Merseyside. Those talks cannot really develop until the outcome of this match has been decided. Harrison’s departure from Leeds was not an acrimonious one and the club will likely consider whether his integration is possible regardless of the result at Wembley.

The 777 Partners takeover (May 31)

After eight months, the attempted takeover of Everton by US investment firm 777 looks destined to end. The group is mired in controversy and in recent weeks has had to deal with the entering of its Australian airline into voluntary administration, the filing against it of $600m fraud allegations in a civil lawsuit in New York and the unravelling of its football empire amid boardroom and supporter protests. It was confirmed to Everton Fan Advisory Board last week that Moshiri has a share purchase agreement in place with the group until May 31. What happens next will be significant to the future of Everton.

The outstanding argument with the Premier League

Ahead of the battle that saw the Blues deducted a further two points for a second PSR breach earlier this year, it was decided that part of the dispute between the club and the Premier League would be postponed. An argument is still to play out over how Everton accounted for millions of pounds of interest it claims were from loans used for the new stadium development. The date for that has not been made public but it is only fair to the Blues if it happens in advance of the opening of the summer transfer window.

That is because, should the club lose the debate, it will increase the amount of money needed to be raised to avoid breaching the three-year PSR threshold for a third time. It could, therefore, pave the way for two new deductions – one if Everton’s previous breach is found to have been by a significantly higher amount, two because that then makes future compliance even harder. This is a big case for the club.

The opening of the summer transfer window (June 14)

The club’s position heading into the final weeks of the football financial year is tough to judge from the outside. But last year’s £89.1m losses led to a significant PSR loss, and the numbers set out in the various judgements handed down so far suggest Everton can only afford to lose just shy of £40m this year from a PSR perspective. There are some areas that will bring improvements – the club has not had to pay around £10m in boardroom and managerial departures this year, will have an increased merit payment from a higher league finish and the wage bill should have reduced.

But last year’s numbers were boosted by the sale of academy product Anthony Gordon, which would have been more beneficial to the books than the sales of Alex Iwobi and Demarai Gray will have been this year. The short of it is that the Blues may find it helpful to sell a player in the opening weeks of the transfer window.

The end of the football financial year (June 30)

The deadline for that will be June 30, the end of the football financial year. Should the club need a big sale before then then matters will be complicated by Euro 2024 and the fact that clubs will know Everton’s position and therefore be likely to drive harder for a bargain. The Blues believed this scenario cost the club £20m when Richarlison was sold to Tottenham Hotspur to try and bring the club’s finances into compliance two summers ago. It is the same reason that Nottingham Forest claimed led to the club delaying the sale of Brennan Johnson last summer – an argument that was quickly dismissed by the commission that sat on that club’s PSR case.