Simon Jordan: Alisher Usmanov is real money man at Everton, not Farhad Moshiri
Simon Jordan has taken a dig at Farhad Moshiri after discussing the current power play at Everton following Marcel Brands’ departure.
Brands left his post as director of football earlier this month (5 December) amid an awful run of results under Rafa Benitez, and the Spanish boss is now thought to have increased responsibility following the Dutchman’s exit, as Danny Murphy suggested via talkSPORT on Monday (13 December).
“I think Moshiri has probably put all his eggs in one basket and given Benitez control now,” the ex-Liverpool midfielder said.
Ex-Crystal Palace chairman Jordan fired back, however, taking aim at the Everton owner by claiming Alisher Usmanov is the real figurehead at the club
“I think Moshiri is abdicating responsibility and it’s probably Usmanov’s money in the first place,” Jordan said.
Influence
Usmanov, 68, is not a shareholder at Everton but he is a long-time business partner of Moshiri and one of his companies USM, sponsors Finch Farm, the Blues’ training ground.
Indeed, the Standard reported during the summer (23 June) that Usmanov was backing Everton’s bid to appoint Benitez as Carlo Ancelotti’s successor, despite backlash from supporters.
Clearly, Usmanov pumps a lot of money into Everton via his sponsors, but Jordan seems to suggest that Moshiri is putting very little, if any, of his own wealth into the club.
Usmanov was previously a shareholder at Premier League rivals Arsenal but there are no suggestions that he will formalise any ownership link to Everton.
However, he also has naming rights to the new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock, and his influence on Moshiri and the club is unquestionable.
That’s quite an uneasy thought, though, that someone who has no official capacity in the Everton boardroom is the one who could be sanctioning the major decisions.
In other Everton news, the Blues are set to launch an ‘Explosive’ bid to sign this somersaulting international ace ahead of their Premier League rivals.
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