View: Everton can start to dream of financial realities European football will bring

Everton are sitting eighth in the Premier League and are in the midst of an ongoing battle for European football.

Since David Moyes rejoined the club last season, the Toffees have continued to shift through the gears, and now can now sniff their first European adventure since 2017.

Moving to Hill Dickinson Stadium last summer, the Blues are looking to continue progressing as a club, potentially reaching the heights hit by the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle in recent years.

As of now, they sit in a UEFA Conference League spot – a tournament that the Toffees would be one of the instant favourites to win.

Though despite this, and the unbelievable trips that the fans would be preparing for, a spot in the Europa League or at an incredible push, Champions League, has to be the aim on the financial side.

Numbers behind Europe outline continental goal for Everton

After multiple years battling at the wrong end of the Premier League, Toffees fans would have taken a simple mid-table finish this year to reset the nerves after a rather tumultuous period.

Now, though, they are well and truly involved in the battle for Europe – something that could set the club up for further success in the coming years.

Naturally, the Champions League carries the biggest financial windfall of all three UEFA competitions, and the difference is staggering.

Current Champions League chasers and Europa League favourites Aston Villa are an example to use.

Qualification alone brings in around £16m, while their run to the quarter-finals last term saw their tally hit an estimated £73.1m.

For comparison, if Emery’s side were to win the Europa League, the estimated total income would fall in the £30-40m group, while a similar run in the Conference League pales in comparison.

From a competitive perspective, a spot in the Conference League would give Everton a very realistic chance of lifting a trophy come May, though it would not exactly be something to continue setting the club up regarding long-term value.

Fixture congestion will prove an issue for Everton

As is so often the case for sides competing in Europe, league form can suffer. This problem is made even worse if the financial benefit is not worthwhile.

After being dumped out of both cups relatively early, Moyes’ side have been playing once a week, aiding with demands on what is a thin squad.

Throw European football into this, where the Toffees would be making trips across the continent, playing against sides who will be out to cause an upset, could be a disaster waiting to happen if the recruitment is not spot on over the summer.

Naturally on the emotional side, a spot in any of the three European competitions would be fantastic, and finances would be an afterthought for the travelling contingent in attendance.

But, for a club aiming to secure their spot as a consistent contender at the thick end of the standings, the Conference League may not bring the best long-term value – particularly if Everton were to slip down the standings due to the additional fixtures next term.

A spot in the Europa League has to be the goal for the Blues. Not only would they be able to attract a different level of player, but the financial implications would be much more worthwhile than adding a handful of fixtures for relatively nothing.

The post View: Everton can start to dream of financial realities European football will bring appeared first on Goodison News.