Everton were recently put up for sale by The Friedkin Group, and former Aston Villa CEO Christian Purslow believes one moment may have contributed to a loss of appetite for the American owners.

After finishing 13th last term following a dismal run of seven games without a win to end the season, Everton fans wanted to see a big response in the transfer market.

Burnley compensation could have been factor behind The Friedkin Group putting Everton up for sale

Purslow has appeared on The Football Boardroom YouTube channel to discuss Everton’s current predicament with journalist Henry Winter.

The pair have delved into why The Friedkins are selling, and Purslow believes that Everton being ordered to pay Burnley £25 million in compensation earlier this year was ‘a very bad news moment’ for the club, which complicated things for The Friedkins.

Burnley successfully argued that Everton’s breach of FFP impacted their chances of staying in the Premier League. The club have appealed the order.

Purslow said: “Before buying the club, in due diligence, then I’m quite sure Dan Friedkin’s people would have been told that there is a possibility of clubs that were relegated in the year that Everton were found to have breached FFP rules might bring lawsuits.

“My honest suspicion, H, is because it was my opinion that they would have been considered low risk contingent liabilities. But they would have been known as a possibility. I don’t think anybody seriously thought they would hit. And lo and behold, as you say, this summer, they lost a case against Burnley. £35 million. My understanding is, they had to find the money.

“And let’s be clear. £35 million in cash in June of any football club, I don’t care who your owner is, is a huge amount of money. Think of it this way – £35 million of cash is about the amount of cash you would need to find if you were buying a footballer for £105 million of value. Because most transfers are structured a third, a third, a third. If The Friedkin Group, as owners, at the end of last season, after a decent season, had plans for another good summer in the market, if there were plans to invest more money net this summer, a £35 million surprise bomb from a legal verdict definitely blew a huge hole in their transfer plans.

“I really do think, you’re right, their ability to get themselves into a new major league franchise in American ice hockey is definitely a big drain on resources. But I think that Burnley deal was a very bad news moment at Everton football club, which may well have impacted The Friedkins’ appetite for the project.”

Everton simply not a priority for TFG

The Friedkins will have known that there was a possibility that a compensation order could happen.

They did cover that with an injection of £38 million equity, but seemingly this situation might have been a factor in the owners deciding to put the club up for a full sale.

Since they own Roma and have committed to funding a new stadium, and are trying to bring an ice hockey franchise to Texas (via ESPN), Everton don’t exactly seem high on their list of priorities. Their lack of visibility at Everton games and the fact they don’t communicate is a further suggestion of that. And the compensation bomb earlier this year may indeed have led to a loss of appetite.

But it won’t wash with a lot of Everton fans, who are questioning why TFG bought the club in the first place.