Keith Wyness shares update on Alisher Usmanov returning to Everton: 'Let me be blunt...'

Former Everton investor Alisher Usmanov should not be allowed anywhere near a football club ever again.

That is according to former Toffees chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who labelled the Russian-Uzbek businessman's involvement on Merseyside as a "complete disaster."

The 73-year-old is being linked with a potential takeover at Everton, having been a close associate of previous owner Farhad Moshiri.

However, Wyness is adamant that Usmanov cannot be allowed to pass the Premier League's owners and directors test.

Usmanov previously pumped money into the club during Moshiri's reign, and his USM Holdings company even sponsored their training ground at one stage.

He is currently under sanctions from the UK government preventing him from having business relations in the country, something which he is pushing to have lifted at the moment.

Keith Wyness tears into Alisher Usmanov

Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Usmanov simply cannot be allowed to play a role in a football club ever again.

The former boardroom man believes that Usmanov is the man who is really to blame for many of the criticisms aimed at Moshiri during his tenure.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness pulled no punches over his assessment of Usmanov's eligibility to own a club.

"Let me be quite blunt on this one. Usmanov was a complete disaster. He was the power behind the scenes with Moshiri as the front man," he said.

"He was sitting holding court on his yacht, summoning agents, and he got sold a load of rubbish by some agents. And Everton really had some big problems as a result of Usmanov's tinkering. 

"Moshiri got the blame, but Usmanov, in my view, was certainly the cause of it all. He's still sanctioned by the British government, so he wouldn't be approved on the owners and directors test. 

"I wouldn't want him anywhere near the club. He's just a rich man. He certainly is very wealthy, but he was tinkering with a football club as a toy." 

'Everton fans are wrong about David Moyes'

Former Everton scout Bryan King told Football Insider earlier this week that he feels fans are wrong to suggest that the club would be better off with David Moyes in charge of the team.

The ex-recruitment man worked with the Scot for seven years during their previous time together at Goodison Park, and he holds the utmost respect for him.

King is adamant that Everton fans need to be more "grateful" for the stability that Moyes has provided, given the state the club was in when he returned.

The boss is out of contract on Merseyside next summer, and the ongoing takeover situation has made his future hugely uncertain.