EVERTON STADIUM AT RISK OF DELAY

Pavard hits 20-yard screamer to beat battling Irish

EvERTON’S charge for breaching Premier League spending rules could delay the completion of their new stadium with potential funding partners reluctant to commit until the matter is resolved.

The club are halfway through building the 52,888-seat stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock having already spent around £350million, but they need external funding to finish the £550m project.

Everton are in advanced talks with New York-based investment firm MSP Sports Capital after a prolonged search for investment led by banks MUFG and JP Morgan Chase — but the firm were unaware of the pending Premier League charge.

All three financial institutions have conducted extensive due diligence and are comfortable with Everton’s accounts, but the possibility of a future points deduction has caused alarm.

The Premier League’s sanctions if Everton are found guilty include a points deduction, a transfer ban and strict spending restrictions. The disciplinary process will not be completed in time to affect Sean Dyche’s side this season, but the threat of future sanctions may delay a funding agreement.

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri could fund the remainder of the construction as infrastructure spending is exempt from Premier League rules, but he is reluctant to do so having spent more than £700m since taking over in 2016.

The Iranian has also explored selling Everton or a portion of his shareholding but scaled back that ambition amid concerns a sale would invite Government scrutiny of his links to Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov, who was sanctioned after the invasion of Ukraine last year.

The sanctions have cost Everton tens of millions and hampered the stadium project, as his company had agreed a naming-rights deal in addition to sponsoring the training ground. In the 2019-20 financial year his company USM Holdings were responsible for £42m of Everton’s £64m sponsorship revenue.

Everton have yet to announce an opening date for the stadium, set to be completed during the 2024-25 season. They have agreed a contract with builders Laing O’Rourke, but a delay in funding could see the unveiling pushed back.

THESE two nations are first and second in the rugby union world rankings but, despite a valiant Irish effort, a footballing gulf in class eventually showed here to silence a raucous Dublin crowd.

It was far from the thunderous and pulsating Six Nations clash in this stadium last month. Ireland matched France for the majority of this Euro 2024 qualifier but were made to pay for one costly error when Burnley midfielder Josh Cullen lost possession in his own penalty area to Benjamin Pavard. The full back hit a screamer from 20 yards that went in off the underside of the bar and gave goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu no chance. Ireland had chances of their own and Mike Maignan made a world-class reflex save with minutes remaining to deny Nathan Collins. The AC Milan goalkeeper dived full stretch to his right to claw the ball away and solidify his claim to replace the retired Hugo Lloris as France’s No 1.

Captain Kylian Mbappe barely had a kick and Antoine Griezmann was only noticeable because of his bright pink hair. So, although Ireland leave with nothing to show for it, they have a mountain of positives to take from this.

Their boss Stephen Kenny promised to fight with ‘fire and ice’ and not ‘accept a slow death’ before this match and his team followed his orders in the first half.

They were fantastic and, although they ceded much possession, Bazunu barely had a meaningful save to make. Veteran captain Seamus Coleman kept Mbappe quiet, while Rotherham winger Chiedozie Ogbene caused problems on the counter-attack. Southampton goalkeeper Bazunu was Ireland’s star performer and denied both Adrien Rabiot and Moussa Diaby.

Aside from that, though, the French barely threatened. Brighton’s Evan Ferguson showed he is more than a penalty-box predator with some clever hold-up play. The 18-year-old warranted the biggest cheer at the Aviva Stadium as the starting XIs were read out and it is understood Manchester United had sent scouts to watch him. Ferguson was schooled at the famed St Kevin’s Boys Club in north Dublin and, though this first competitive outing means he is now tied down to Ireland, his international future was never really in doubt. Considering Ireland’s World Cup qualifying campaign started with defeats by Serbia and Luxembourg, this was more encouraging and Kenny’s kids will fancy their chances of making the finals in Germany.