Fans arrive at Goodison Park in Liverpool, northwest England on December 7, 2023, ahead of the English Premier League football match between Everton and Newcastle United. Photo: AFP
The Premier League club said the decision to put back the date of their move across Liverpool was due solely to wanting to avoid the difficulties of uprooting themselves mid-season rather than because of concerns regarding the building schedule.
"Firstly, and to be absolutely clear, our decision to not move in mid-season is not because of a construction delay," said Everton interim chief executive Colin Chong.
"It is a club decision driven by a combination of commercial insight, a comprehensive review of the logistics required, an analysis of the potential impact upon our football operations and, importantly, fan feedback sourced as part of our recent stadium migration survey.
"Everton Stadium remains firmly on track, as scheduled, to be completed in the final weeks of 2024."
He added: "All of this does mean that next season, 2024/25, is scheduled to be our last at Goodison Park.
"By the time we close the gates for the final time, Goodison will have been our home for nearly 134 years."
Last month, Everton were hit with a 10-point deduction for breaching Premier League financial rules.
But despite that handicap, the Toffees sit four points above the relegation zone following last week's 2-0 win at home to Chelsea.
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