Everton takeover hopeful John Textor is exploring another deal to expand his football empire.
The Toffees have been locked into a takeover saga that has run for over a year and shows no signs of ending any time soon.
Farhad Moshiri has now ended negotiations with Miami-based group 777 Partners, although one of the group’s major lenders, US-based private equity firm A-Cap, has proposed a new funding deal for the club.
However, in terms of a full takeover, it appears that there are thee credible options at this stage – John Textor, MSP Sports Capital and a coalition led by local financiers Andy Bell and George Downing.
Unlike the other two alternatives, Textor‘s attempts to buy the club are predicated on selling his 40 per cent stake in Crystal Palace first.
And the American billionaire, who owns four clubs in total, also has his eye on another major investment in football elsewhere.
John Textor exploring Uruguayan takeover amid Everton latest
At present, the sole outpost of Textor’s Eagle group in south America is historic Brazilian side Botafogo – but that could all be about to change.
As reported by South American outlet Search (via Foganet), the 58-year-old is now eyeing an unnamed club in Uruguay with a view to a buyout.
He would not be the first multi-club investor to take control of club in the nation, which has a rich football heritage.
Man City parent company City Football Group got in on the Uruguayan multi-club market when they bought Montevideo City Torque all the way back in 2017.
- READ MORE FOOTBALL FINANCE ANALYSIS: Everton plot could backfire as £900m deal under threat
Everton takeover: Is Textor out of the running?
Could Textor’s interest in another takeover in Uruguay signal that he has lost hope in Everton.
Until Textor has sold his stake inCrystal Palace, he has no hope of taking over the club.
He has appealed to the Premier League for leniency, suggesting that an independent trust could be established to oversee his Palace stake while he finds a buyer and arranges an Everton deal.
But the league’s governors will not bend their dual ownership rules for the investor, which means he simply has to sell before he buys.
However, he could have a route to a full Everton takeover through fellow Crystal Palace shareholder David Blitzer.
Blitzer, who himself is selling one of his multi-club sides in Bundesliga outfit Augsburg at present, has close ties to MSP Sports Capital and could manufacture some kind of interim arrangement between the two parties.
Alternatively, it could be that Textor is investing in a new club in Uruguay because the situation at his Dutch club, RWD Molenbeek, is deteriorating following their relegation from the Eredivisie.
It is impossible to know his motives, but don’t count Textor out of the Everton race just yet.