A-Cap, the investment company that loaned 777 the funds to support the club during their attempts to acquire Premier League approval, are looking to further invest alongside current owner Farhad Moshiri; Crystal Palace part-owner John Textor also wants to buy Everton
By Alan Myers
There are five different groups attempting to buy Everton as owner Farhad Moshiri weighs up his next move following the end of 777 Partners’ exclusivity agreement.
Farhad Moshiri was tied into a period of exclusivity with the troubled US investment group until May 31 and could not enter into alternative discussions.
But the 777 Partners’ purchase agreement with Blue Heaven Holdings Limited for the sale and purchase of the majority shareholding in the club has now expired.
A-Cap, the investment company that loaned 777 the funds which they supported the club with during their attempts to acquire Premier League approval, are looking to further invest, alongside current owner Moshiri.
Two local businessmen Andy Bell and George Downing are also looking to take ownership of the club.
They will look to bring other investment with them and MSP, who are also creditors with Everton following their loan to fund part of the new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock, are also looking to take a further stake in the club, again in conjunction with one or more other investors.
Crystal Palace part-owner John Textor is another candidate to buy Everton but needs to dispose of his investment in the London club before he can make a possible move to Merseyside.
Textor, a tech entrepreneur, bought into Palace for £90m in 2021 and his multi-club network Eagle Football also includes French side Lyon, Botafogo in Brazil and RWD Molenbeek in Belgium.
However, the American said his situation at Palace, where he is unable to secure a majority shareholding, meant it was no longer compatible with their longer-term goals and had therefore instructed Raine Group to find a buyer for his stake.
In a statement to the Financial Times, he said: “Crystal Palace is an independent club. An integrated sporting model, such as ours at Eagle, is simply not a perfect fit.”
There is also a yet unnamed group ready to show its hand, US-based, with a large financial backing.
What happened to agreement with 777 Partners?
In September, the Miami-based investment fund said it had signed an agreement with British-Iranian billionaire Moshiri to acquire his 94.1 per cent stake in the club.
The deal, initially expected to be closed by the end of 2023, was delayed as 777 Partners reportedly struggled to meet the necessary conditions outlined by the Premier League to complete their purchase.
But Everton said in a statement back in May: “The agreement between 777 Partners and Blue Heaven Holdings Limited for the sale and purchase of the majority shareholding in the club has expired.
“The club’s board of directors recognises the considerable level of financial support 777 Partners has provided the club over recent months and would like to take this opportunity to thank them for this.”
Moshiri, a former Arsenal shareholder, first bought a 49.9 per cent stake in Everton in 2016. By January 2022, he had increased his stake to 94.1 per cent with a £100m capital injection.
But despite investing nearly £650m in transfers to build the squad since Moshiri’s arrival, Everton have slipped out of the top half of the table to fight relegation battles in recent seasons.
The club finished 15th in the Premier League after being hit with two separate points deductions for breaching profit and sustainability rules.