HITC sources have confirmed that AS Roma owner Dan Friedkin has held talks over purchasing Premier League Everton.
A host of parties are now interested in buying Everton after 777 Partners’ bid to buy the Merseyside giants collapsed.
Everton’s majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri had previously agreed a deal with 777 last September with the intention that the U.S. private equity would purchase his 94/1% stake in the Goodison Park outfit.
However, issues over the financing of the deal led to the Premier League failing to give their approval to the deal and that saw it collapse earlier this year when 777’s exclusive agreement with Moshiri expired.
Now Moshiri is considering his options and HITC is told that he has held talks with numerous parties, who are trying to broker an exclusively period with him – which would allow them to finalise a deal.
Roma’s American Dan Friedkin wants to buy Everton
HITC sources with knowledge of the situation confirm that one of those is Dan Friedkin – the American billionaire, best known in Europe for his ownership of Italian giants Roma, which he bought in 2020.
Friedkin also bought French outfit Cannes last year as his Friedkin Group look to become the latest high-profile multi-club ownership group in Europe, and now he wants to add Everton to that stable.
However, Friedkin is not alone. Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor has already thrown his hat into the ring, as he wants to sell his take in the Selhurst Park outfit and buy Everton.
Textor is also part of a multi-club project with stakes in Rio de Janeiro’s Botafogo and French giants Lyon.
“Yes [I’ve had conversations around buying Everton], with the existing constituents – different groups, different lenders, different equity holders,” Textor told the New York Times last month.
“I’m watching it…Everton represents the best of English football: the struggles, the glory, the want. I love that it’s out of London. Everybody should want to buy Everton right now. That kind of club is what I’m referring to. How great would it be to take one of these great English clubs back to sort of glory?
“I suspect the problem with Everton is it won’t be available by the time we would be ready for it. We’re not going to rush the situation at Palace, no matter how good another opportunity looks.”
One of the world’s richest men Michael Dell backing Bell and Downing bid
Aside from the two big name American bids, there is interest from closer to home with lifelong Everton fans and local businessmen Andy Bell and George Downing mounting a joint bid to take charge.
Bell and Downing have secured the backing of Michael Dell – founder of Dell Technologies and one of the richest people in the world. Dell is currently ranked 14 in the world by Bloomberg.
Dell’s MSD Partners are backing Bell and Downing, and they too are hoping to secure the exclusivity deal with Moshiri.
Bell and Downing have already pumped substantial sums into Everton in recent months and are among the creditors of 777 Partners.
Another of the creditors of 777 are MSP Sports Capital and they too have made an offer to Moshiri, as have Advantage Capital, who are understood to have offered Moshiri the option to keep a majority share in the club if they restructure the club debt and take a stake as part of the deal.
HITC sources suggest that interested parties believe Moshiri, whilst not putting a time frame on talks, will decide on who he is granting an exclusivity period to before the end of this month.
The post Sources: AS Roma owner launches bid to land Everton as Farhad Moshiri considers new offers to sell club after 777 failure appeared first on HITC.