David Moyes has expressed his hope that his managerial tenure at Everton can continue, after Christian Purslow and Henry Winter voiced their belief that offering him a new deal was a key factor in stabilising the club during the current sale process.
Stability since return
Stability is what Moyes has brought back to the football club since he returned. He changed how the team was playing, got points on the board, and the club is more stable than it was.
But going forward, if you are an investor or a buyer, you are looking at that situation and how you want to push forwards and start going for trophies.
Where Everton are now, with a couple of months until the transfer window reopens, it is not just about finding a buyer for the football club, it is also about trying to find players who want to come here. Knowing that Moyes has only got six months left, that could be more of a challenge when speaking to their agents.
Contract questions loom
As time goes on, with no new deal being agreed, it has started to open up a can of worms. One way or another, somebody needs to make a decision on whether they are going to offer a contract to the manager.
It is a question on many Evertonians' minds, but the identity of the decision-maker remains unclear. Dan Friedkin hired Moyes but has never spoken to him, while it is uncertain whether chief executive Angus Kinnear even has the remit to make these calls.
Observers argue the situation cannot be allowed to drag on because it could hurt the club in the long run, raising questions about whether there is a plan for January and whether players are lined up to make the team competitive for the second half of the season.
Sale process impact
Football clubs are not cheap, so if you are paying something between £800 million and a billion pounds for Everton, you want it to tick all the right boxes. The manager's contract is a solution that needs sorting so the club can move on and focus on the football, and get investors lined up to do deals and buy the club off The Friedkin Group.
The situation is likened to selling a home, where you would want to meet personally with the new buyers to showcase all the nice features. However, these owners have not turned up from the start, so even though Everton has an elite stadium, a fantastic club with a huge, loyal fanbase and an incredible history, their hands-off approach will probably ensure someone else is left to handle that on their behalf.
