Everton are set to endure a summer laden with takeover speculation, and frankly, it will get exhausting.
However, at the very least, fans can be thankful that Farhad Moshiri has a plethora of options, most of which have hefty financial backing and a far cleaner track record than 777 Partners.
The Miami-based firm first detailed their interest in September, when they reached an agreement with the Iranian businessman to purchase the club from him.
It seemed like everything was in place to streamline their takeover, but their outstanding financial struggles saw the deal pushed back again and again.
Only in the last few weeks have their efforts cooled and the club been allowed to move on.
However, that does not necessarily mean that better things are on their way.
New suitor now leads Everton takeover race
With a Saudi-backed consortium having already bid for Everton, and another led by two Evertonians in George Downing and Andy Bell sniffing around too, on paper there are some very attractive propositions that should interest both fans and Moshiri.
However, as BBC Journalist Phil McNulty claimed, Moshiri cannot be trusted with this Everton takeover, and his desperation to sell to 777 Partners only reinforces this.
It seems that a candidate on par with this questionable firm remains in the running, with A-Cap having taken the lead in the takeover race despite being inextricably linked to the much-maligned previous frontrunners.
A report by The Telegraph reads: ‘However, Moshiri is now in active talks with [Kenneth] King, who has some clout as he appears to have helped fund operational costs provided by 777 in recent months before the Miami-group’s takeover collapsed. Some sources close to talks say A-Cap is now in the driving seat, although other sides of a proposed deal play down his prospects.
‘All insiders agree, however, that King is fiercely motivated to secure an agreement, with money already tied up inside Everton.’
A-Cap are just as worrying as 777 Partners
It is worth noting that within that report, they also note the following: ‘A-Cap are by far the most controversial takeover option in an increasingly busy bidding race, with two multimillionaire lifelong fans Andy Bell and George Downing also in serious contention.’
This is due to those aforementioned ties to 777 Partners, who have become something of an unspeakable topic on Merseyside.
After all, despite having been handed innumerable opportunities to take over the club by the Premier League, they clearly never had the finances necessary to do so.
They were seemingly being propped up by A-Cap, and this link is unlikely to endear the latter to a fanbase that is already delighted to see 777 Partners out of the running.
Although they might have far more financial power, their links to such a shady business, which seems to be falling apart from within, should send alarm bells ringing once again.