George Overhill

Sat 20 May 2023 9:42, UK

Farhad Moshiri has essentially agreed Everton takeover or investment deals with both 777 Partners and MSP Sports Capital at the same time, according to a report from The Athletic.

The Toffees owner has been in talks with both US-based enterprises for weeks now, with the former gaining in prominence after representatives of the latter had visited Goodison Park for the defeat to Southampton on 14 January.

The Daily Mail reported on Wednesday night (17 May) that a £600million sale to 777 Partners could come about within a week, but Sky Sports’ Alan Myers reported the following day that it would be at lest mid-June before a deal was expected and the MSP Sports Capital were still most likely, but amid ongoing confusion over the situation the latest report suggests there is truth to both sides.

Matt Slater writes in The Athletic Saturday morning (20 May): “This week we have seen a story in the British press about their owner Farhad Moshiri agreeing a deal to sell the club to a Miami-based investment fund called 777 Partners.

“This agreement — non-binding and conditional — has been much discussed around the football-industry water cooler for a few weeks and it is hard to see how either Everton, Moshiri or 777 could deny it with much conviction as it is fundamentally true.

“However, it is also essentially true that Moshiri has agreed a deal — subject to the same caveats — with New York-based investment fund MSP Sports Capital that would give him a big wedge of convertible debt to complete the construction of Everton’s new stadium.

“Is this a different Everton to the one 777 is buying? No, of course not, but it is easy to get confused.”

As to what happens next Slater goes on later: “The only honest answer is nobody knows other than Moshiri, and he is either changing his mind almost daily or is intentionally riding several horses at once to reach his desired destination: Everton competing at the right end of the Premier League in a state-of-the-art stadium.”

Time is coming?

As with any deal of this sort there is no way of being 100% certain until a signing of contracts has been announced and there is some sort of evidence registered with the authorities.

It seems unavoidable that something significant is nearing otherwise it would be an almighty lot of fuss about nothing, and with the finances widely considered to require boosting to pay for the increasing cost of the new stadium it seems unlikely that it is all smoke without fire.

To some extent, with the fate of Everton on the pitch still up in the air as the season comes down to the wire, it would be no surprise if potential deals are being lined up ready to pull the trigger once next season’s landscape is confirmed one way or the other.

If one deal hinges on Premier League survival and is far more attractive to Moshiri, as is surely likely given the vast gulf in cash available to clubs between the first and second tier in England, then he may be hoping to give the go ahead to that one if and when safety is secured.

But he, as with everyone else connected to the club, is well aware that there is still significant danger ahead of the final two fixtures, as Sean Dyche heads into them with his side’s nose ahead by starting outside the relegation zone, but results going against him could change that in an instant.

So if a second deal is available as a Championship club, but all things being equal is the agreement that Moshiri likes less, then that would explain why agreements appear to be ready with two competing interests.

But, as reports from across the British media continue to compete, it may be nobody actually knows what is on the horizon, and that could feasibly include the majority shareholder of Everton himself if he hasn’t actually made up his mind yet.