Sources close to the Blues state the that current state of play is that there has been no change in the make-up of the deal with Laing O’Rourke and that the club feels that it has protected itself against significant raw material cost rises. The deal with Laing O’Rourke was signed to give some degree of cost certainty to the project, in terms of an upper limit at a time of global tumult for the construction industry, and the sourcing of raw materials following the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine and the region’s key role in the steel industry. It was suggested that the potential rise in cost of raw materials could see the cost of the project driven higher than the £505m that had initially been placed as a marker. The report suggested Everton had a deal in place only with Laing O’Rourke, who have sub-licences in place with other contractors such as Severfield, the firm that supplies the steel for the build. READ MORE: Everton confirm special plan for 'inspirational' fan Harry Garside after viral video READ MORE: Niels Nkounkou latest as Everton clause explained and 'transfer list' rumours clarified The deal, reached in April of 2022, was designed to mitigate the potentially impactful developments related to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, where the conflict was set to spark a rise in steel price globally.

On Monday, Sportsmail reported that the construction costs for the club’s stadium build at Bramley Moore Dock were under threat of rising despite a contract having been signed back in 2022 that saw cost parameters fixed with Laing O’Rourke, the construction company working on the development on the banks of the River Mersey.

Everton are confident that a deal in place with their construction partner on the club’s new £500m stadium will continue to protect them from hefty price increases.

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