Dan Friedkin takeover developments set to ensure Orel Mangala departure from Everton
Everton signed Orel Mangala late in the transfer window in a deal linked to their prospective takeover and his exit looks assured on the same basis.
The Belgian midfielder arrived on Transfer Deadline Day in a late loan move that had John Textor's fingerprints all over it, at a time when it looked like the Toffees' business was already over.
The American was in the driving seat to secure a deal to buy the club from Farhad Moshiri at the time, and a midfielder arriving from his Ligue 1 side Lyon after Sean Dyche had missed out on Kalvin Phillips among others looked like a helping hand ahead of taking over.
But Roma chief Dan Friedkin has returned to resurrect his own buyout, with a deal announced on 23 September pending regulatory approval, but believed to be "99% done" [Giulia Bould, 23 September].
John Textor beaten to Everton takeover
Textor had a number of hurdles to clear, not least selling his 45% holding at Crystal Palace, so his compatriot swooped in to take advantage, and Friedkin isn't expected to have an issue with Premier League approval in two to three months [Ben Jacobs, 23 September].
If Mangala's long-term future on Merseyside was open to question before it is surely decided now the Textor link is gone.
There were doubts that the 26-year-old was convinced by joining Everton in the first place as his agents had lined up a deal for him to join Fiorentina [Gianluca Di Marzio, 29 August].
The Lyon hierarchy weren't willing to play ball and insisted on the Toffees move instead [Di Marzio, 29 August], suggesting Textor's influence was key.
Fiorentina had deal in place for Orel Mangala
So with one of the intermediaries involved in the agreement with Fiorentina, Giovanni Bia, already predicting that a resumption of talks with the Serie A side are likely in the summer [TuttoMercatoWeb, 19 September] the chances of remaining with the Toffees look slim to none now that Friedkin is on the way in and change is on the way.
The Toffees haven't actually lost a game he has started in 90 minutes so there might be some interest in a permanent deal.
But Mangala had already "given his yes" to La Viola and if Textor isn't involved to affect interactions between Everton and Lyon a second time it seems certain his return to the Premier League after time with Nottingham Forest will be a one-season stop.
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