Kieran Maguire: ‘Things are going from bad’ to worse at Everton as new Alisher Usmanov details emerge
The last thing Everton need at a time of on-pitch crisis is fresh questions about Alisher Usmanov’s involvement with the club.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the substance of the Russian billionaire’s relationship with the Toffees.
Companies owned by Usmanov previously had several lucrative sponsorship deals with Everton, including a £30m first-refusal option for the naming rights for Bramley-Moore Dock.
But the oligarch, a close ally and business associate of Everton owner Farhad Moshiri, was forced to abandon those deals after he was sanctioned by the UK government for his links to the Kremlin.
But The Guardian reported last Sunday (15 January) that several managers claim they were once interviewed by Usmanov for the role in the dugout at Everton.
Usmanov is said to have given the impression that he owned Everton, which he himself vehemently denies.
With Everton 19th in the Premier League and without a win in nine, Maguire insists that the Merseysiders could do without this particular monkey on their backs.
“At the moment, Everton really just need to focus on on-pitch matters,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“Things are going from going bad to worse in terms of the relationship between fans and the board. This does not help to build bridges.
“Ultimately, this is historic information. We have heard a lot of it before. It makes no difference to a manager where the money comes from.
“One man’s vanity is ultimately irrelevance in terms of the wider issue, which is that they need to retain their Premier League status.
“Certainly, at the moment he has no direct involvement behind the scenes.“
In other news, major update on Everton bid to sign Moussa Dembele after new development.