Everton administration view shared by Matt Slater after Farhad Moshiri decision

Everton may already have been in administration if Farhad Moshiri had not spent £400million on the club's new stadium, according to Matt Slater.

The Toffees were last week docked 10 Premier League points, leading to fresh fears of being embroiled in a relegation dogfight.

Worse could still be to follow as a number of teams, Leeds United and Leicester City among them, could reportedly sue Everton for £300million.

That may force them into administration [The Mirror], but Slater says they would already have been in that position if not for the new stadium construction.

Writing for The Athletic [20 November], Slater said: "It is not too much of a stretch to suggest that if Moshiri had not already poured £400million of his fortune into the building site on the banks of the Mersey, Everton would be in administration now, because the two-thirds-built stadium is by far the most attractive part of any sales prospectus for the club."

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The state-of-the-art stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock really is a saving grace for Everton.

It is not hyperbolic to suggest that the ground will be the finest anywhere in Britain outside of London - a huge draw for whoever does eventually take over.

Still, it is hugely concerning that Everton and the word "administration" are even used in the same sentence.

If - and that is a strong use of the word - the Toffees do still enter administration, it would mean a further nine-point deduction, which would surely be too much to recover from.

While there are still plenty of questions regarding 777 Partners, a failure of the American investment fund getting a takeover over the line would raise yet more concerns regarding Everton's future.

Let's just hope that the Everton players run out at the new stadium for the first time in a Premier League fixture, rather than in the Championship.

In other Everton news, a journalist has given an "on trial for murder" warning after developments at Goodison Park.