Sean Dyche admits future planning difficult amid Everton takeover talk

Current owner Farhad Moshiri has had an agreement in place since September, but seven months on there are increasing signs the deal may be close to collapse as the US investment firm 777 Partners has encountered a series of problems over unpaid debts with some of their other acquisitions.

It is understood Moshiri has held face-to-face talks with 777 this week as he considers whether to pull the plug, while a report by Bloomberg suggests MSP Capital, another American investment group, is weighing up whether to re-enter the bidding having been overlooked previously.

The uncertainty is not helping Dyche as he tries to start planning for next season to get back to, in his words, "a level playing field" and he admits this is not a "crack-on moment".

"I didn't know at the time but ever since I got here I've been trying to manage the situation with the goalposts moving significantly at any given time so I don't think I'm in new waters for that side of things," said the boss, who has spoken to Moshiri about matters on the pitch but not regarding the takeover.

"And that is the challenge at the moment, it is the current shifting sands of this football club.

"I've said many times you want to put a base into the club to build from but it's not quite there yet so we are all open-minded on the recruitment and player contract side, the staff, on what comes next.

"People get this impression that when we made sure we had secured ourselves (in the Premier League) there was that underlying feeling of, 'crack on now'.

"It's not as easy as that. We're not in a 'crack-on' moment at the moment. There is lots to do to get back to the base and level playing field in order to move forwards.

"There are situations out of my control but they are in people's control, certainly at the level of the club that know about more of the details and minutiae and important side of the getting the deal done.

"I just have to stay flexible-minded as to what comes next. Every week is like that here."

777 Partners has declined to comment on recent developments regarding the takeover and the situation with its other investments.

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