777 Partners are still 'determined to complete purchase' of Everton | OneFootball

Everton prospective owners 777 Partners remain 'determined to complete the purchase' of the Goodison Park giants, but journalist Paul Brown has told GIVEMESPORT why the deal is being held up.

It appeared that the Toffees were entering a new era when the American consortium signed an agreement to acquire the entirety of current owner Farhad Moshiri's stake in September, but they have been unable to officially rubber-stamp the alteration in the boardroom.

Being rocked by a 10-point deduction, the heaviest punishment in Premier League history, for breaching financial regulations has complicated matters further at Everton.

777 Partners aim to renegotiate terms

Moshiri will be forced to hold further talks before walking away from Everton as 777 Partners are preparing to re-enter negotiations over the price of the takeover, according to Football Insider, as a result of the Merseyside outfit facing a major legal battle after breaking spending rules.

The report suggests the investment firm are eager to lower the agreed price when they are involved in discussions with the 68-year-old, who has been at Goodison Park since acquiring 49.9 per cent of the club's shares in February 2016, as a number of rivals are seeking compensation following the ruling and that will not help the Toffees' financial position as they are already in significant debt.

An independent commission ruled that Everton should be sanctioned after recording a loss of £124.5million, which exceeded the threshold of £105million, but they have already confirmed an appeal will be made due to believing the punishment was 'wholly disproportionate'.

To make matters worse, Leeds United, Burnley and Leicester City have confirmed that they are intending to sue the Toffees for a total of £300million after senior figures from each side held discussions to reaffirm plans which were initially formulated over the summer.

The stance of the three clubs will not come as a surprise to 777 Partners as they received a letter from the aggrieved parties warning that they would take action if Everton were found guilty of breaching regulations as they believe the delay in addressing the charges helped Sean Dyche's side to escape relegation.

Everton are at risk of being plunged into administration if Leeds, Burnley and Leicester are successful in suing them for a substantial fee, which would result in a further nine-point deduction being imposed by the Premier League.

Respected reporter Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that the Toffees are still reeling from their initial punishment and, as a consequence, would not see being sued as the worst case scenario.

Paul Brown update - 777 Partners

Brown understands that 777 Partners still have to overcome numerous obstacles before collecting the keys to Goodison Park as they are waiting to be approved as Everton's new owners by the Premier League and the Financial Conduct Authority.

But the reputable journalist is aware that the Miami-based investment firm, who are led by Josh Wander and agreed an initial £500million fee with Moshiri, are eager to get the deal over the line while waiting for the Toffees' appeal to be heard.

Brown told GIVEMESPORT:

Calvert-Lewin wanted by Premier League rivals

Everton could have a battle on their hands to hold onto Dominic Calvert-Lewin as, according to TEAMtalk, Newcastle United have added him to their shortlist of targets ahead of potentially pouncing in the coming months.

The report suggests Arsenal are also long-term suitors of the striker, who racked up the 50th Premier League goal of his career when he grabbed the winner against West Ham United last month, but the Toffees are planning to put fresh terms on the table as they attempt to stop his head being turned.

Calvert-Lewin is due to enter the final 18 months of his £100,000-per-week contract at the turn of the year, which has resulted in his suitors viewing the upcoming January and summer transfer windows as the perfect opportunity to test Everton's resolve.

Reliable journalist Brown recently told GIVEMESPORT that Chelsea should also enter the race for the England international if boss Mauricio Pochettino wants a frontman with Premier League experience who has similar traits to former Stamford Bridge favourite Didier Drogba.

Having seemingly come through a testing period where he has been battling back from a string of injuries, Calvert-Lewin has started each of Everton's last six top flight fixtures ahead of this weekend's clash with Manchester United.