Everton takeover talks have been a buzzing topic since the summer. It appears that Farhad Moshiri is ready to sell his shares and in turn sell the club. The majority shareholder has been in talks with a number of consortiums and potential buyers discussing a sale, with Jeffrey Soros of LAMF Global Ventures Corp being the latest to show interest.
Moshiri became Everton’s majority shareholder in 2016 and since then he has injected well over £500 million in transfers and the new stadium. Back in the summer, Peter Kenyon led consortium had a contract of exclusivity but the deal did not progress despite being advanced. Moshiri currently owns 94% of the club and has also bankrolled the construction of the Bramley-Moore Dock.
In the midst of the transfer window, the British-Iranian businessman addressed the fans clearing the air amid sale and reiterating that there is no ‘for sale’ board outside Everton, though he will be open to any new investment opportunities.
The talks of a potential takeover or even an investment did fizzle out a little as attention shifted to football and Everton’s performance on the pitch. It was only last week that talks of a takeover resurfaced with Maciek Kaminski was said to be in advanced talks with Moshiri over an Everton takeover.
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Kaminski, the chief executive of Talon Real Estate was also part of the Kenyon consortium, albeit this time the Minneapolis based businessman was looking to buy the club individually, with his own company. A takeover amount of around £400 million has been discussed.
Now, another USA based group seems to have shown interest in buying Everton. According to Bloomberg, LAMF Global Ventures Corp, led by Geogre Soros’ nephew, Jeffrey Soros, have held preliminary talks over a takeover. Los Angeles Media Fund (LAMF) is led by Jeffrey, whose uncle George has a net worth of $8.6 billion.
LAMF is seeking advice from former Everton director Keith Harris, who shares an amicable relationship with Chairman Bill Kenwright. LAMF is led by Jeffrey and Simon Horsman, both Los Angeles based film producers.
As things stand, Moshiri looks open to the idea of an investment as work for the construction of Bramely-Moore Dock continues in full swing. If Moshiri’s letter is anything to go by, the major shareholder is unlikely to sell the club and instead focus on investment opportunities.
The new state of the art stadium is an attractive proposition to new investors which is why so many USA based groups have either held talks or expressed interest in a takeover. Whether a full fledged takeover takes place or just a small portion of shares are sold to complete the stadium remains to be seen.
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