Joe Thomas and Dave Powell answer the big off-the-field questions on Everton, their attempted takeover from 777 Partners, what it would mean for Farhad Moshiri and the club if the bid fails, and the role of MSP Sports Capital and others
Financial, regulatory and legal issues are stacking up for the US group and against that backdrop majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri is facing the prospect of having to find an alternative vision for the future of the club.
Why does it look increasingly likely to collapse? That lawsuit - said to be one of 16 cases faced by 777 Partners - alleged wrongdoing to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. The claims remain accusations, this is early in the proceedings and the case is a civil one, not a criminal one, and one that 777 Partners is yet to comment on. It is one that adds to the complicated backdrop of 777 Partners, however.
Are there any other interested parties? Other groups are thought to be interested Everton, though it is unclear on what basis. 777 Partners were not the first on the scene - Moshiri agreed exclusivity periods with two different US groups before this one. The second of those was with MSP.
They have a pre-existing relationship with the club, and they will have had access to the key club data and financial projections when making the initial play for a 25% equity stake last year. Is there a precedent for this? Yes, we’ve seen something similar, although with differences, play out in Italy in recent times. When Elliott Management acquired AC Milan in 2018 they did so reluctantly. A hedge fund management company based in New York, with no previous experience of running a football club, they did not want to be owners of the Italian giants, but did so as it was the best course of action to take to protect their investment.
They were linked with a move to acquire Tottenham Hotspur last year, something that was denied by Spurs chief Daniel Levy. Who are are Andy Bell and George Downing and what role could they play? Andy Bell and George Downing are both wealthy Everton supporters who were frontrunners for board positions in the first MSP deal after forming part of that effort. Bell is the founder and former chief executive of the investment giant AJ Bell, while Downing is the founder of Downing, a business that started in construction and has since expanded into property management and other areas.
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