Everton plan new stadium

Merseyside - Everton have identified a site in Liverpool with a view to building a new stadium, chief executive Robert Elstone revealed during the Premier League club's annual general meeting.

"The stadium remains a big priority," Elstone said.

"We're not ruling out any of the sites that we've identified and that the council has presented to us, but there is one site which is getting more attention and has been getting more attention for a number of months.

"We hope it comes to fruition and, if it does, I think it's something that the city and our fans will be very proud of."

Everton revealed last year that they were working in collaboration with Liverpool City Council to find a new home, after 122 years at Goodison Park, which currently has a capacity of just over 40 000.

The new stadium would be a purpose-built 50 000-seater arena and Everton hope to locate it within the Liverpool city boundaries.

Elstone did not name the site, but he suggested that the club could be in a position to provide a further update on their plans to relocate before the start of next season.

"The timeframe is relatively short-term because we are sitting and evaluating whether this is the right thing to do, and we are certainly not going to dwell on that," he told the meeting late on Tuesday.

"So at some point in the next few weeks and months, we will need to make a decision, and when we do, we will announce it to the fans."

Earlier this month, Everton's city rivals Liverpool announced plans to increase the capacity of their Anfield ground from 45 276 to around 54 000.