‘I don’t think’ - BBC Radio 5 Live man offers reassuring verdict on news emerging out of Everton

Everton will not be forced into selling any key players despite the club’s ongoing sponsorship crisis, according to BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Danny Mills.

The Athletic recently reported that Everton’s shirt sponsorship deal with Cazoo will end after the current season, with the club exercising a break clause written into the contract. This deal is reportedly worth around £10m per year, so it seems like positive steps have been made in their search of a replacement.

Whilst it was the Toffees’ choice to exercise the clause, it has not come at a good time for the club, who now face commercial challenges following the suspension of three of their other sponsorship deals.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Everton had suspended their dealings with Russian companies USM Holdings, MegaFon, and Yota. These deals were associated with Uzbek businessman Alisher Usmanov, whose assets were frozen by the European Union on Tuesday and the UK on Thursday.

With all that taken into account, it could result in an annual shortfall of close to £30m.

Despite the off-field turmoil and the team’s battle with Premier League relegations, Mills – who regularly appears on BBC Radio 5 Live – doesn’t believe that Everton will be forced into selling some of their most prized assets.

When asked by Football Insider if those circumstances would prompt a fire-sale of star players at Goodison Park, the former England defender replied: “No. I think there will be an awful lot of this and it will take a long time to unravel. We’re talking 18 months, two years. 

“Everybody is doing what they see right at the moment and rightly so, disassociating themselves with certain things.

“But you have to go down and start looking at every single investment at every