Sources: Critical Everton takeover update as New York group’s stance revealed
MSP Sports Capital remain interested in Everton despite their simultaneous overtures towards Tottenham, Football Insider has learned.
The private equity firm, which is fronted by American-Iranian billionaire Jahm Najafi, has been linked with acquiring a minority stake in Everton since mid-January.
Najafi and his co-investors attended the Toffees’ 1-2 defeat to Southampton shortly after their interest was first reported, which was seen as an endorsement of their aspirations to buy into the club.
But MSP have now been connected with a full £3.1billion takeover of Tottenham, and conflict of interest rules would bar them from being involved with both clubs.
Football Insider understands that MSP’s interest in Spurs is genuine and that they have enlisted a consultancy firm to conduct due diligence into both the club itself and football governance at Premier League and Uefa level.
But sources have also told this site that the New York-headquartered group have not abandoned their efforts to buy a stake in Everton from Farhad Moshiri.
Significantly, Moshiri is actively seeking external investment whereas Spurs owners Joe Lewis and Daniel Levy are not.
Moshiri and his fellow Everton grandees have repeatedly maintained that investment in Everton, which is needed to see the construction of their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock through to completion, is close.
The club has been hamstrung in the transfer market in recent years by combined financial losses of over £370million and the enforced withdrawal of oligarch benefactor Alisher Usmanov following UK government sanctions.
In other news, Everton and Bournemouth eye Viktor Gyokeres deal after price tag slashed by £10m.