EVERTON are facing a 12-point deduction if they are found guilty of breaching Financial Fair Play rules.
The Premier League has called for the punishment after Everton recorded heavy financial losses over the past three years.
PAEverton are facing a 12-point deduction for breaching FFP rules[/caption]
The Telegraph claims the Toffees are down £371.8million over that time period.
The Prem’s permitted amount is £105m – less than a third of Everton’s losses.
And the Merseyside club is now staring down the barrel of a heavy points penalty, with their case currently being heard by an independent commission.
A points deduction would be a huge hit to Everton’s survival hopes, with the club narrowly escaping relegation over the past several seasons.
They are currently 16th in the table with just seven points from nine games.
A 12-point hit right now would leave them five points adrift of bottom-place Sheffield United, and nine from safety.
It would be the first points deduction of its kind in the English top flight.
But a decision is unlikely to be made until later this year, with Everton also facing other potential punishments.
These could reportedly include fines and a transfer embargo.
News of Everton’s FFP breaches first came in March.
A club statement at the time read: “The club strongly contests the allegation of non-compliance.
“Everton is prepared to robustly defend its position.”
Meanwhile, owner Farhad Moshiri is attempting to sell Everton to 777Partners in a £500million deal.
But the Premier League could block the deal amid concerns over whether 777’s managing partner Josh Wander would pass the Prem owners’ and directors’ test.