Everton have endured a year laden with controversy and turmoil, and it has truly been impossible to predict what might happen next throughout a horrid season.
The Premier League tried their best to leave Sean Dyche hamstrung, whilst the players finally stood up and fought for the badge to ensure that relegation was not a threat.
In the end, they finished well clear of the bottom three, allowing a stable and solid foundation to finally have been built, hopefully set to encourage progression at last.
The person set to lead them into that brighter future remains a mystery though, as Farhad Moshiri continues to comb over his takeover options.
John Textor pulls out of Everton takeover race
Of all the wealthy parties who are slowly revealing their interest, John Textor was the first to do so publicly, speaking to The Athletic about his desire to invest in Everton.
Now, we have seen Saudi-backed consortiums and wealthy Evertonians come forward to outline their intentions, but before then it was just 777 Partners who remained in the race.
That was, until the aforementioned American noted: ‘Everton represents the best of English football: the struggles, the glory, the want. I love that it’s out of London. Everybody should want to buy Everton right now.
‘That kind of club is what I’m referring to, where the risk and the reward of your relationship and community is so great and you could come in, make promises and keep them. How great would it be to take one of these great English clubs back to sort of glory?’
The Miami-based firm’s exclusivity agreement has since ended, thus kickstarting a summer of takeover warfare.
However, it can’t be forgotten that Textor’s interest in Everton was the first to spark this bidding war, and for that, he deserves thanks, even if he has reportedly since dropped out of the race.
Everton fans owe John Textor a great debt of gratitude
After all, not only did he announce his plans to try and buy Everton, but the Crystal Palace co-owner also graciously explained why the club remained such a valuable asset worth investing in.
His complimentary claims are sure to have sparked interest from some, who saw such a wealthy benefactor of a rival Premier League club being so positive, and had their interest piqued.
At the very least, his vocal admiration and admittance of his interest showed that 777 Partners were not untouchable, and that there was scope to contest their efforts to assume control of Everton.
Whilst it seems unlikely that Textor will become the new owner of the Toffees, his kind words and powerful statement should remain the bare minimum that the new ownership group adheres to as they seek to return them to the top of English football.