Everton ‘hugely worried’ about financial situation ‘never envisaged’ after update – Phillips
Kevin Phillips has claimed Everton are in a vulnerable financial position having “never envisaged” relegation was possible this season.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Sunderland and England striker said players’ contracts are “a huge worry” for the club as they hover above the bottom three.
The Athletic claimed (17 March) that only some of Everton’s squad have relegation clauses in their big-money contracts.
According to the Daily Mail (8 March), Yerry Mina, Andre Gomes, Jordan Pickford and Dominic Calvert-Lewin earn in the region of £100,000-a-week at Goodison Park.
The Toffees are currently 17th in the Premier League, three points above the bottom three.
When asked by Football Insider‘s Dylan Childs for his thoughts on Everton’s high earners, Phillips said: “That is a huge worry for the club.
“I like a lot of people expected Everton to have a good season. I never envisaged this situation.
“The club clearly never envisaged this either otherwise players would have relegation clauses in their contracts. It just goes to show that no club is too big to get relegated. Everton have not been good enough this season.
“The parachute payments would make it a little easier but it would be far from ideal.
“[Frank] Lampard has a huge task in front of him between now and the end of the season with the fixtures they have got coming up. They have to stay up.”
In other news, a pundit has claimed ‘Lampard is mistaken’ as is set to blow ‘last hope’ of keeping Everton in the Premier League.