Everton surprised by Tottenham takeover news with MSP as US financial sources provide update on Toffees investment talks
Everton remain in talks with MSP Capital over the sale of a minority stake in the club despite surprise at news of a potential Tottenham takeover, the Liverpool Echo reports.
The firm, headed by Jahm Najafi, have been in communication with Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri over the purchase of as much as a quarter of the club, valued at £105million, but were linked to a multi-billion pound full takeover of Spurs in a Wednesday (15 February) report from the Financial Times.
While that is said to have caught those on Merseyside unawares, sources in America insist the interest in Everton has not come to an end, with The Mirror even reporting on Wednesday that there was some interest in buying the club outright.
Dave Powell writes in his Thursday Liverpool Echo report: “Despite the links to a potential Spurs move, financial sources in the US have told the ECHO that talks have not been broken off and that the interest in the purchase of a minority stake something that MSP are still in dialogue over with Moshiri and his representatives, which include Deloitte and Matthew Hammond, engaged on a personal basis by Moshiri.”
He adds: “The FT story around a potential takeover deal for Spurs is understood to have been met with some surprise within Everton. Further talks, the ECHO were told by sources in the US, were planned and it was understood that MSP had a desire to continue to engage over a deal to acquire a stake of the club.
“Any deal for Everton would almost certainly see MSP have board representation, with two seats understood to have been discussed. MSP are active investors and seek to have a strong input with regards to direction of the assets in which they invest.”
In progress
Najafi and MSP are certainly making sure they are noticed within the Premier League, but at this stage it is impossible to say what the result will ultimately be.
All indications are that there is a considerable possibility of them becoming involved with Everton on a serious level, but until an agreement is reached nothing is set in stone.
A takeover of Tottenham appears fanciful at this point, and if they are willing to put up the right money it seems likely that the Toffees are a more realistic option.
The relative prices of the two clubs, given their respective situations, are likely to be quite different, and until results improve with any consistency on the pitch the risk associated with the Goodison Park club is significantly higher.
Many fans will be hoping this is the start of a process that sees Moshiri leave the club along with a board that has never been less popular.
A minority stake at this point ahead of presumed top flight safety and the completion of the new stadium looks like a logical route to full ownership if that is their long-term goal, but it could be some way off yet if it is to happen and requires of chips to fall the right way first.