Everton are fighting to retain their Premier League status.
The Toffees are currently positioned in 17th and one point above the relegation zone with two games of the season to go.
Sean Dyche’s side will almost definitely need to pick up points against Wolves and Bournemouth in order to preserve their top-flight status.
Five clubs ready to sue Everton
It would be disastrous for Everton should they suffer relegation to the Championship.
They could find themselves in big trouble even if they manage to beat the drop, too.
That’s because five English clubs are ready to sue Everton for a whopping £300m should they stay up, per the Daily Mail.
Southampton, Leicester, Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Burnley have reportedly informed the Premier League that they believe they are entitled to compensation from Everton should they be found guilty of breaching spending rules.
The Premier League charged the Merseyside club for breaching spending rules in March and referred the case to an independent comission.
The five clubs had asked for Everton’s disciplinary hearing to be fast-tracked so any sanctions, including a possible points deduction, could be applied this season.
That request was refused, though, and the clubs have now lodged legal papers with the top flight which make them a party to the dispute.
Should Everton stay up, Southampton and the two clubs that go down will hope to receive £100m in compensation each.
That figure is believed to be an estimate of the loss of Premier League income for one season after the deduction of parachute payments.
While Burnley, despite securing their return to England’s top tier this season, are still unhappy at the circumstances of their relegation in 2022 and could make a separate claim.
Everton released statement after being charged for breaking FFP rules
Everton vowed that they had done nothing wrong and that they would fight the charges.
They wrote in a statement after the charges were announced, per the Daily Telegraph: “The Club strongly contests the allegation of non-compliance and together with its independent team of experts is entirely confident that it remains compliant with all financial rules and regulations.
“Everton is prepared to robustly defend its position to the commission.”
It is currently unknown when Everton’s disciplinary hearing will take place and when any potential punishment will be applied.
