Everton chiefs ‘surprised’ after Jahm Najafi takeover update at Tottenham
Everton have been left “surprised” by Jahm Najafi’s reported interest in buying Tottenham Hotspur for £3.1billion, according to The Athletic.
On Wednesday (15 February), the Financial Times reported that Iranian-American billionaire Najafi, who has been long linked with investing in Everton, is planning a bid for the North London club.
Later on Wednesday, The Athletic claimed this news came as a surprise to Everton. However the report does state that sources close to the talks are confident a deal with Najafi’s MSP Capital can be agreed.
Najafi was in attendance at Goodison Park on 14 January as Everton lost 2-1 to Southampton
The billionaire tycoon is reportedly still in talks with Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri about acquiring a minority stake in the club [Sky Sports News, 15 February, 1.03pm],
Ditching Everton makes sense
If Najafi were to forget about investing in Everton in favour of taking over Tottenham then there is no overstating how big of a blow it would be for the club.
This is a club in desperate need of investment the sooner the better. The worrying thing is, a bid for Tottenham makes far more sense than taking a minority stake in Everton.
You either own a small part of a club that may well be playing in the second tier next season or own a club that is in the hunt for a Champions League spot.
If Najafi has the funds to pull it off then a move for Tottenham is a no-brainer. Sources on Everton’s side may be confident that a deal could be done but Najafi walking away is now completely possible.
Obviously, only one of these deals will be allowed to go through. Any person or company cannot own any part of more than one football club in the Premier League.
A Tottenham takeover is the smart move for Najafi and that’s bad news for Everton and Moshiri.