777 to kickstart Everton clear-out by getting rid of Mason Holgate for good
777 Partners could start its potential reign in charge at Everton by finally getting rid of defender Mason Holgate for good.
The 26-year-old is currently out on a season-long loan with Southampton after being deemed to be surplus to requirements at Goodison Park.
The former England youth international’s deal with the Championship side doesn’t include an option-to-buy clause, but the US investment firm’s proposed takeover could provide more financial stability and accelerate his permanent exit from the Merseysiders.
The centre-back joined the Toffees from Barnsley in 2015 for a fee believed to be in the region of £2million after he was highly rated by the South Yorkshire club.
His time with the Blues hasn’t worked out how many thought it would after the defender showed an awful of promise in his younger years.
He has, however, still managed to make just short of 150 appearances for the club as well as play for England up to U-21 level.
It’s been made pretty clear during Sean Dyche’s time at Goodison Park that the defender isn’t really in his long-term plans, having only made eight appearances in all competitions last season, with only three of those games coming under the current Everton manager.
That led to him joining the Saints on loan despite Sky Sports journalist Mark McAdam tweeting on 13 August that the Blues were looking to sell him.
The stumbling block to a permanent transfer, however, was the player’s wages as he is believed to be on a decent salary after spending eight years in the Premier League.
The Englishman hasn’t had the best start to life on the south coast, having featured just once in the opening four games of the season, where Southampton were stuffed 5-0 by Sunderland and he was hauled off after 64 minutes.
It seems unlikely that the Saints or any other club would be willing to match his wages and there’s no way the Blues can afford to pay a chunk of his salary in order to move him on permanently under Farhad Moshiri.
But perhaps that situation could change if more financial stability is found under 777 Partners, with the regulatory process for the club to take over on Merseyside well underway [Sky Sports].
The Toffees would likely have a better opportunity to sell players under the American company, as Sky Sports journalist Alan Myers believes it will provide “serious business sense” at Goodison Park, something that has been missing for a number of years.
One of the first steps it could look to take is to sell on any players Dyche doesn’t want in a bid to raise more funds to bring in new signings, with Holgate likely to be one of the first names on the list for the axe.
In other Everton news, the club are in contact with a PSG player’s representatives about a January move.