Everton takeover: Keith Wyness ‘surprised’ by John Textor development
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has insisted it is a “surprise” to see John Textor agree exclusivity in his takeover bid without a solution for his Crystal Palace shareholding.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – claimed a partnership between Textor and The Friedkin Group would be a “dream” for Toffees fans.
As reported by the BBC (15 August), US businessman Textor has been granted a period of exclusivity to purchase a majority stake in Everton.
Any deal depends on him selling his 45% stake in Crystal Palace as Premier League rules prohibit individuals from owning more than one team.
777 Partners and The Friedkin Group have previously been granted exclusivity by Farhad Moshiri but have seen their takeover bids collapse.
Textor’s Everton takeover may be ‘imminent’ after ‘surprise’ news, says Wyness
Wyness claimed a deal for Textor to sell his Palace stake may be “imminent” after the “surprise” news.
He told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “I was a bit surprised to see Textor granted exclusivity.
“I didn’t see a real need for him to get exclusivity while there was still the big hurdle of him selling his Palace shares.
“He could’ve done any due diligence without that agreement.
“Unless he’s been told that a deal was imminent, I didn’t feel there was a need to exclude any other parties who could come into the picture.
“I’m surprised, but we don’t know all the details.
“As he’s been granted this exclusivity, it may be that he can move more quickly than it would first appear.
“We’ve got to hope that he’s close to selling his Palace shares or found some other way to park that stake.
“I would think he would need the money, as he does tend to use debt to secure these deals.
“He’s got the resources, he’s worth over £3billion, which is about the lowest level you need to be a Premier League owner these days.
“For Everton, it’s important to get some stability. It would be great if he could do a deal with Friedkin, that would be the dream team for me.”
In other news, Everton ready striker offer.
For more Everton and exclusive news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.