Updated According to fresh reports, a group of global investors headed up by London-based businessman Vatche Manoukian has joined American billionaire, Dan Friedkin, in the queue of investors interested in buying out Farhad Moshiri’s majority stake.
Both BBC Sport and Sky Sports understand that Friedkin, who is President and Owner of Serie A club Roma and has an estimated personal fortune of around $6bn, has registered his interest in buying the Blues following the collapse of 777 Partners’ long-running bid at the end of last month.
Now, Matt Slater of The Athletic, says that Manoukian’s consortium has weighed in with a £400m all-equity bid which means Moshiri has three or four firm approaches to consider, depending on which reports you believe.
Born in Lebanon and educated in Cyprus and the UK, Manoukian is the nephew of an Armenian property and entertainment tycoon and partner in IMS Digital Ventures, a technology investment firm, and, according to The Athletic, his consortium, which has until now been waiting in the wings, is made of investors from the Persian Gulf and the United States.
Article continues below video content
Local Merseyside businessmen, Andy Bell and George Downing, are thought to be at the head of the queue having gained the financial support of Michael Dell’s merchant bank BDT & MSD Partners and reportedly agreed to meet Moshiri’s valuation of the Club.
Their offer is said to be a mix of “fresh equity and a £350m loan” from Dell’s investment vehicle secured against Everton Stadium that would refinance the bulk of the Club’s existing debts
MSP Sports Capital, through which a consortium of 13 investors that included Bell, Downing and Moshiri himself, loaned Everton £158m last summer, are also said to have lodged a bid that Slater describes as a “complex mix of equity and debt” even though they passed up the chance to take a 51% controlling stake in the Club in mid-April
Meanwhile A-Cap, who have assumed many of 777’s assets as part of the latter firm’s restructuring process, were also reported to have tabled an offer of their own.
John Textor, the billionaire part owner of Crystal Palace, has withdrawn from the running , according to David Hellier of Bloomberg.
Moshiri is thought to be eyeing a quick sale having reached a Share Purchase Agreement with 777 Partners back in September and the takeover situation appears to now be gathering some momentum with the troubled Floridian private equity firm out of the picture.
San Diego-born Friedkin is a film producer, conservationist and the heir to Gulf States Toyota, which distributes the Japanese automobile manufacturer’s cars in the United States. He bought Roma from James Pallotta for $700m five years ago but is not yet believed to have submitted a formal offer to Moshiri despite reports to the contrary.
Reader Comments (32)
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer ()
Danny O’Neill
1 Posted
08/06/2024 at
19:43:26
But jut sort it out so we can move forward.
Mike Gaynes
2 Posted
08/06/2024 at
20:25:21
The figure of $591m to buy Roma was published, but Friedkin later said it was $700m. The first thing he did was hire Mou, who won the Europa Conference and got the club to two finals but failed to advance Roma’s position in Serie A (they finish 6th every year). Roma fans were shocked and angered by Friedkin’s sudden sacking of The Special One, but they cheered his hiring of Daniele de Rossi, and he has done well.
Friedkin also stabilized Roma financially, cutting debt and costs dramatically and elevating revenues, primarily by sending the club on tour in Japan and elsewhere. Pulling in big stars like Rom (21 goals) and Dybala attracted attention and ticket sales.
Friedkin also owns a 4th tier French club, AS Cannes, and therefore seems to be an adherent of the multi-club business model.
Andy Meighan
3 Posted
08/06/2024 at
20:35:15
Onwards Evertonians.
David Israel
4 Posted
08/06/2024 at
20:38:11
This fella might just bring in the Insufferable One, and we all know what that means, these days.
Danny O’Neill
5 Posted
08/06/2024 at
20:47:54
Thanks for the insight Mike. Sounds an interesting character.
Lyndon Lloyd
6 Posted
08/06/2024 at
20:55:49
Right you are, Mike. It was €591m which was around $700m at the time (or vice-versa!)
John Wilson
7 Posted
08/06/2024 at
21:10:47
Now apparently also MSP, who also did not want it. Now THE Roma boss, too. Where was all this interest when we had to suffer 777 Partners [in alleged crime]?
Trevor Powell
8 Posted
08/06/2024 at
21:39:06
Just makes you think how many other consortiums or billionaires were around in 2016 before BK sold out to the oligarch’s bitch and what we could have achieved on the pitch?
Edward Rogers
9 Posted
08/06/2024 at
21:49:27
These investors are like buses… you wait ages for one, then they all turn up at the same time.
Barry Rathbone
10 Posted
08/06/2024 at
21:59:45
Upon seeing the actual debt he’s going to bastardise the line from Jaws: “I’m gonna need a bigger fortune” and stick to Toyotas!
David McMullen
11 Posted
08/06/2024 at
22:05:26
Not interested on multi-club owners. Go away!
Brent Stephens
12 Posted
08/06/2024 at
22:08:25
I just hope that Moshiri, in taking what’s best for him, doesn’t take what’s not best for Everton.
Jamie Crowley
13 Posted
08/06/2024 at
22:30:58
I agree with you if the multi-club owners are simply using the assets to create a wicked Ponzi scheme.
This fella ain’t that my friend. He’s done a marvelous job at Roma and would be an excellent owner for Everton. His track record is superlative in just about any business venture he’s engaged in.
Jerome Shields
14 Posted
08/06/2024 at
22:39:19
The problem is not only will they have to buy Moshiri Shares, possibly pay off loans and provide working Capital at the rate of millions Everton cannot go on indefinitely needing such funds, a Premier League requirement.
Everton need restructured and properly Managed..It is only a suitor capable of that, which Moshiri has failed to do or realise.The danger is that Moshiri will take in other parties as Investors and continue as he has before. Why would make him change the course he has persued so long at Everton ?
Tony Williams
15 Posted
08/06/2024 at
22:40:00
Seeing Moshiri was in bed with 777 who obviously was a no-go from the very start. Can we trust him to get the right people in this time.
Colin Glassar
16 Posted
08/06/2024 at
23:03:07
This guy sounds like a nepo kid whos some sort of used car salesman. Not for me. Lets get some filthy rich owner wholl let two real Everton fans run the club for him and take us where we belong.
Derek Thomas
17 Posted
08/06/2024 at
23:05:54
777 was all about Moshiri’s back pocket not Everton’s well being or even continued existence; he wanted out – with Max cash, now I think he has to take what’s out there.
The suitors now smell a deal, what sort of deal? – a ‘Deal’ deal.
There are…always were…lots of positives, and in these cases debt is sometimes not the big negative it seems.
You never know, we might even get somebody who actually knows wtf they are doing.
What a novelty.
Tony Abrahams
18 Posted
08/06/2024 at
23:06:14
Build it and they will come, maybe Moshiri, has actually played a blinder by building a stadium, on an iconic waterfront?
Sam Hoare
19 Posted
08/06/2024 at
23:06:15
I think the multi club model is probably the fastest way for us to improve but only if it is done well.
If Moshiri wants to move quick then this guy is an outside bet as currently hes made no firm bid.
Rob Halligan
20 Posted
08/06/2024 at
23:08:55
Why dont they all club together, then wed have about £300B to do as we please!
Brendan McLaughlin
21 Posted
08/06/2024 at
23:12:52
Brendan McLaughlin
22 Posted
08/06/2024 at
23:12:52
Shaun McGough
23 Posted
08/06/2024 at
23:15:02
Moshri eyeing a quick sale is the only negative Lyndon in all these interested parties to me
Rob Jones
24 Posted
08/06/2024 at
23:16:27
It genuinely baffles me how much importance some place on fanhood. I don’t give a shit if any prospective owner is partial to us. I care that they’re competent in running the club as a successful business and are willing to delegate decision making to people who actually know the sport, as opposed to Moshiri who was neither, and Kenwright who ran the club as his own fiefdom, with only his own interest and opinions at heart.
Paul Ferry
25 Posted
08/06/2024 at
23:50:36
To use the lying sleazy impresario as your yardstick for evaluating the Evertonians we believe are in the mix to become our next owners is like comparing the speed of sound with a kopite tortoise.
Erm, they are if I might tweak your words: more than “competent” in running “a successful business”.
I dont think it would take an O Level to see why so many place “importance [on] fanhood”. Im sorry that it “genuinely baffles” you.
You wonder why after what we have been through – turning your luvvy droop jowls Billy Liar comparison right back at you – someone would prefer genuine Evertonians with top business acumen and achievement to take over our club?
That “genuinely baffles me”.
Gavin Johnson
26 Posted
09/06/2024 at
00:22:09
I don’t particularly want another greatest ever Evertonian/s MK II show.
Rob Jones
27 Posted
09/06/2024 at
00:44:44
I’m just skeptical, which is valid, after all we’ve been through. I’m happy to be wrong about this, and that Bell and Downing be all we need.
I wouldn’t say that any of my posts are that sharp anyway, Paul. 🙂
Gavin Johnson
28 Posted
09/06/2024 at
00:54:47
I know that splashing money alone from richer backers isn’t everything… You only need to look at Brighton and Tony Bloom to see that a fan owning the club can work…But don’t we want to to be more than selling our best players and being self-sufficient ??
I see the offer from the consortium led by the Armenian businessman has backers from the Persian Gulf…So that could be from Qatar, so lets hope we get more info filtered through in the coming days.
Ed Prytherch
29 Posted
09/06/2024 at
01:19:02
A 400 million all equity bid sounds like they are going to pay that amount to Moshiri to become the new owners but what comes next is important. What are their plans to refinance the loans which are killing EFC? If Dell are able to do that then I would like to see them involved.
Mark Taylor
30 Posted
09/06/2024 at
01:26:06
It’s what I would do in his position, given he is pretty naked right now. Big up the interest, create a fenzy…
Kieran Kinsella
31 Posted
09/06/2024 at
01:34:34
No mate thats the QPR model. Remember they had a whole crew of billionaire owners and all they did was argue and take it in turns to fire managers while the club spiraled downwards. Billionaires are like Scotsman, every good team has one but if theres two youre in trouble.
Mal van Schaick
32 Posted
09/06/2024 at
01:45:03
If Textor is no longer in the mix, I would prefer Bell, Dell and Downing. Dell would be the majority shareholder with Bell and Downing bringing some financial input and their knowledge of how Evertons history and fan base, has kept us in the Premier League, just awaiting decent owners to bring success back to the club.
How to get rid of these ads and support TW
© ToffeeWeb