The recent years at Everton football club have been marked with considerable upheaval at Goodison Park. Multiple managerial casualties, relegation battles and a misfiring transfer strategy have all contributed to the Toffee's plight.
If this current difficult position is going to improve on and off the pitch, it is imperative that 777 Partners acquire the entirety of owner Farhad Moshiri's 94.1% shareholding in the club.
According to the Liverpool Echo, their deal to acquire the Toffees is going through the process of obtaining regulatory approval, however, the Premier League, Football Association and Financial Conduct Authority all need to be satisfied that 777 Partners would be appropriate owners of the club, and have the necessary funds to complete the deal as well as a clear plan moving forward.
Whilst the departure of Moshiri would heighten the mood around the club, it would be dampened significantly if Everton were to be handed a 12-point deduction for breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, as has been suggested.
Despite this news, the Merseyside outfit have been linked with several names to bolster their squad in January, including Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
Signings that Everton could make in January
Earlier this month, it was reported by the i that Everton and several other clubs are interested in taking Phillips on loan from the Etihad in January.
The publication revealed that the midfielder is becoming increasingly frustrated over his lack of game time and wants to play regular football, which the Toffees would be able to provide.
In an ideal world, Everton's takeover would be completed followed by Phillips' signing, however, with multiple big clubs interested – including Bayern Munich, West Ham United, Newcastle United, and Liverpool – a deal looks difficult to complete, as revealed by journalist Paul Brown to GiveMeSport.
He said: “I just find it hard to believe that Kalvin Phillips would want to give up Champions League football and the chance to win what could be a bucket load of trophies again this season with Manchester City for Everton."
Everton's position in the table doesn't make a deal any easier to complete but if they were able to prise him to Goodison, he would be an upgrade on current midfielder, James Garner.
The stats to show why Phillips would be an upgrade on Garner
Everton captured the highly-rated former Manchester United midfielder for £15m in September 2022 and the Englishman has since established himself at the heart of Sean Dyche's plans this term.
Garner is a natural ball-playing midfielder, an aggressor of sorts, who can spray passes at will and keep the cogs in Dyche's midfield ticking over.
The 22-year-old has featured in all nine Premier League matches so far and has averaged the fifth-highest Sofascore rating in the Everton squad (7.18), underlying his importance.
Whilst he is undoubtedly an important member of the team for the industry and the tenacity he brings to the engine room, Phillips has proven, especially in his performances for Leeds United, that he would be a huge upgrade on Garner.
In the 2021/22 campaign, the one that ultimately earned him the £42m move to Manchester, the 27-year-old – who was described by Italian icon Andrea Pirlo as a "rock" – established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the league, ranking in the 10% against his positional peers for tackles, top 20% for interceptions and top 4% for blocks while placing in the top 1% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.
He was an instrumental figure in the Whites's survival that season, anchoring the midfield exceptionally with his passing range and utilising his ability to read the game to sweep up possession.
By contrast, Garner's defensive metrics this term, when comparing them to Phillips in the 2021/22 campaign, paint a picture of someone who is unable to eclipse his English compatriot. He's recorded fewer tackles (2.55/3.05), blocks (1.53/2.09) and interceptions (0.38/1.35), as well as a worse pass completion (70.8%/80.9%).
If Dyche is looking to solidify his midfield with someone who has experience of galvanising a team to Premier League survival while offering "superb" defensive attributes – as lauded by Barcelona legend Xavi – he should look no further than the £18m-rated Man City star.