Rangers finance anxiety grips ex-Premier League ace amid 'huge fears' they're going same way as Light Blues

Michael Ball has drawn comparisons of Everton's chaotic financial predicament to that of his other former club Rangers' financial downfall.

The ex-Ibrox defender insists he has major concerns over the future of his Premier League outfit after they released worrying annual accounts for the last financial year. The Goodison Park side recorded a loss of £89.1million in its latest accounts, which cover the year up to July 2023.

With matters on the pitch for Sean Dyche's men also nosediving - the Toffees currently enduring their longest winless run of 12 games without a victory in the English top-flight - the Merseyside club face an uphill battle to drag themselves out of the relegation zone.

For Ball, the shambolic conditions Dyche is operating in amid a protracted planned takeover and two financial cases related to a period that precedes his tenure, including an alleged breach of spending rules, is all too familiar.

Writing in his column for the Liverpool Echo, Ball said: "I have huge fears over Everton future. At one of my old clubs Rangers it was left for the fans to pick up the pieces after they were crippled by financial problems.

"Nobody ever would have dreamed that Rangers would get relegated three divisions for the accounts and tax errors. They had to go to court and they ended up winning the court case, but it was too late. The damage is done and you're already relegated.

"Because of that experience and what can happen in football, I am worried about Everton. It's not just getting a points deduction, it could get worse. There are lot of levels the club could plummet and I've seen it with my own eyes - a huge football club losing players, losing staff, losing their identity and having to start again. And they were only able to do that because of the fanbase, who dragged them back up again.

"Rangers' owner had no accountability either, it was all left to the supporters. And that's what I could see happening with Everton if the takeover doesn't happen, the longest takeover saga in history. The Premier League are still waiting for answers from 777. If you want to buy a club then you should give them everything they need and more - give them too much information!

"If you were Moshiri you would be on the phone, saying 'jump through every hoop and hurdle'. But it's just dragging on. It's April and we still don't know who owns the club and now it's starting to run onto the field. If it drags on, while we're in a very dark place now it could potentially get worse."