Everton takeover could now happen quickly after new developments at Goodison Park
Everton could be taken over “relatively quickly” and be under new ownership by Christmas, according to David Hellier.
Speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside (17 September), the Bloomberg journalist said that an impending takeover by John Textor could now be processed quickly, albeit not “overnight” with issues still to solve.
Hellier’s update came in the wake of the Friedkin Group reigniting their interest in the club [Bloomberg, 17 September], highlighting that fans want to see progress as soon as possible.
Asked how fast the deal could happen, he said “Relatively quickly, but these things never happen overnight, really.
“There’s so many different factors; they still need Premier League approval, so would Textor – Textor’s got to sell his (Crystal) Palace stake.
“Obviously for Everton, they just want this deal done as quickly as possible – all the fans I imagine want something in place as soon as possible because the uncertainty is really difficult.
“But relatively quickly, yes – by Christmas maybe.”
Are Everton nearing the end of their takeover saga?
With Textor pushing for a deal to finally relieve Farhad Moshiri of his duties as the majority shareholder, Friedkin’s re-entry to the fray can be seen in both a good and bad light.
Further competition to buy the club from Moshiri – with the Friedkin Group already owed £200million due to a loan paid during their previous exclusivity period [Dave Powell, 17 September] – could slow down an already drawn-out process.
However, it could also urge Textor to finalise everything that he needs to push through his takeover, namely selling the 45 per cent stake he currently has in fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace [Daily Mail, 16 September].
A third way, and perhaps the best of both worlds for Toffees fans, could see the two American investors come together in a joint buyout deal, but there’s no telling what the timescale would be for this.
The prediction of a Christmas takeover being on the cards at Goodison Park will certainly have fans feeling festive, but there are still plenty of issues to resolve before anything is rubber-stamped.
In other Everton news, Stephen Warnock thinks the club face an imminent decision on the long-term future of Sean Dyche.
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