Everton takeover: Behind-the-scenes David Blitzer details revealed - sources

The business relationship between Crystal Palace co-owner David Blitzer and MSP Sports Capital would not block a partial takeover of Everton by the private equity firm, legal sources have told Football Insider.

MSP remain in talks to buy a minority stake in Everton, whose owner Farhad Moshiri is seeking external investment in order to see the construction of their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock through to completion.

The New York-headquartered company could purchase as much as 25 per cent in the club, as has been reported elsewhere.

Chairman Jahm Najafi and CEO Jeff Moorad are two of the three partners in MSP, alongside COO Sharon Hwang.

Najafi and Moorad are also on the board of Bolt Football Holdings, an investment vehicle of Palace co-owner David Blitzer.

While Blitzer’s stake in Palace is through a separate company, Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, the 53-year-old has stakes in six clubs through Bolt.

Premier League ownership rules state that no investor can hold more than a 9.9 per cent stake in two English clubs – but also that potential investors are disqualified if they are deemed to have material influence over two or more clubs.

But sources familiar with the inner machinations of the Premier League’s arbitration system have told this site that Blitzer’s boardroom connections to Najafi and Moorad are unlikely to meet the conflict-of-interest threshold.

There is perhaps a precedent in that Newcastle United’s Saudi backers are significant investors in Chelsea’s majority owner group Clearlake Capital but are not deemed to have material influence on operations at Stamford Bridge.

However, there are still major barriers to MSP’s possible involvement in Everton, most notably their interest in a full takeover of Tottenham.

The Financial Times reported that the group are launching a £3.1billion campaign to buy Spurs from Joe Lewis and Daniel Levy, who are not actively seeking investment but will listen to offers.