A takeover update from Germany could start a chain reaction that eventually leads Farhad Moshiri to finally leave Everton
The British-Iranian billionaire has been trying to sell his 94 per cent stake in the Toffees for well over a year.
The latest developments with 777 Partners mean that he has been forced to change course and look for a new buyer.
The Miami-based investment group had agreed a full takeover deal but the Premier League have refused to ratify it after they were unable to prove their ability to fund the club going forward.
Moshiri has nowturned his attention to exploring other, more credible options.
It appears there are two investors with a genuine interest – another US investment firm in MSP Sports Capital and Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor.
And the latest developments in the sports investment world may indicate that a deal may be inching closer.
David Blitzer’s Augsburg sale may pave way for Everton takeover
John Textor wants to sell his stake in Crystal Palace and reinvest in Everton.
Textor, a 58-year-old billionaire who made his fortune in digital media and now has stakes in six football clubs, owns 45 per cent of Palace.
Most of the remaining shares are split between club chairman Steve Parish as well as Josh Harris and David Blitzer, two more US investors with equity in a number of clubs.
Among the teams in Blitzer’s portfolio is Bundesliga side Augsburg.
And, as reported by Bloomberg, Blitzer is now looking to sell his 45 per cent stake in a deal which values the German club at around £128m.
Blitzer appears to be withdrawing from Augsburg for strategic reasons, but it could also be that he is raising funds to up his stake in Palace by purchasing more shares from Textor.
That would hasten Textor’s exit from Palace and in turn his would-be takeover of Everton.
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John Textor Everton deal: MSP link could be crucial
Significantly, Blitzer also has close business links to MSP Sports Capital.
His Bolt Football Holdings group are partnered with MSP. And Jahm Najafi and Jeff Moorad, chairman and CEO of MSP respectively, also sit on the Bolt Football Holdings board.
MSP meanwhile have an option to take a controlling stake in Everton as part of a £160m loan to the club.
The New York-headquartered group tend to be a silent partner with their football investments, so it is unlikely that they would want to commit to a full takeover of Everton in the long term.
However, they couldstrike a deal to take control of the club while Textor arranges the sale of his Palace sales to Blitzer so he can eventually assume full ownership of Everton.
It’s a tangled web, but the pieces may be falling into place for Textor to become Everton’s new owner.