Everton’s troubled pre-season took another twist yesterday when it emerged that Keith Wyness, the former chief executive, quit Goodison Park last month because of the growing influence of Sir Philip Green, the retail magnate, on the club. Wyness was linked with a similar role at Real Mallorca, but while he visited the Balearic island after leaving Everton, it was for a meeting with Robert Earl, the Planet Hollywood founder who owns 23 per cent of the Merseyside club, and Green, who has consistently denied any financial involvement in them.

Wyness had become increasingly concerned by Green’s input at Everton. Financial information about the club was regularly passed to the billionaire, who has no official role at Goodison, and club officials have been summoned to conferences with Green at the headquarters of Bhs, which Green owns, in London to discuss strategy. After leaving the club, Wyness went to Majorca, where an acrimonious meeting took place. The two sides failed to agree on a severance package and Wyness is believed to be planning to take Everton to an industrial tribunal.

There had been suggestions that the chief executive stood down because of controversy over Everton’s desire to move from Goodison Park to a new stadium in Kirkby, outside the Liverpool city boundary, or concerns about the financial future of the club. However, the sole reason was Wyness’s disquiet over the influence of Green.

Green has a longstanding relationship with Bill Kenwright, the Everton chairman. He turned down the chance to buy a stake in the club two years ago, recommending Earl instead.

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It has been a summer of turmoil on all fronts at Everton. The club expect to hear this week whether their plans to relocate to Kirkby will be subject to government review. Should the £400 million scheme, in conjunction with Tesco, be called in for further scrutiny, it could hold up the move for at least a year — or kill it completely.

It has been a frustrating time for David Moyes, who has expressed his anger at being unable to buy players. The manager has been forced to sell Andrew Johnson, whose move to Fulham should be completed today despite the concerns of the London club about an old knee injury after the striker’s medical. The initial fee is likely to be about £5 million, although Everton could still receive up to £13 million.

Sporting Lisbon’s £16 million valuation of João Moutinho is prohibitive, although Moyes remains eager to land the Portugal midfield player, as well as Stéphane Mbia, Rennes’s £5 million-rated Cameroon midfield player. Any move for Diego Milito is likely to hinge on selling Johnson and Real Zaragoza lowering their price.

For Wyness, too, the future is uncertain. The £40 million sale of Mallorca to Paul Davidson — the pipe-fitting tycoon known in City circles as “The Plumber” — is in its early stages. Although Davidson and Wyness are old friends, reports that the latter was to take up a role with the Spanish club were premature and he is furious at suggestions that he was working on behalf of Davidson while employed at Goodison.

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Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, could be without Steven Gerrard for the first leg of the Champions League third qualifying round match against Standard Liège next Wednesday. The England midfield player suffered a thigh strain during a 4-1 victory over Valerenga, of Norway, in a pre-season friendly last night. Gerrard limped off in the first half, but Benítez hopes that he will recover in time to face the Belgian side. “It is a thigh strain. We need to wait, but it could be one week,” Benítez said. Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso, David Ngog and Yossi Benayoun scored the goals for Liverpool last night.

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