£36m+ Everton deal on the cards as Moshiri to trigger option that'll end senior man stay - Times
By Richard Parks
Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri is seeking to increase his stake in the club to nearly 60 per cent in a mega-money boardroom deal, according to a report.
The Times claim the Iranian billionaire is keen to "exercise an option" to buy the 8.9 per cent owned by deputy chairman Jon Woods.
It is said this deal would take Moshiri's share in Everton to 58.9 per cent and result in Woods leaving the board.
Football Insider verdict:
Given that Moshiri paid £200million for a 49.9 per cent stake in the club two years ago, the 8.9 per cent holding of Woods that he is seeking to buy is likely to be worth at least £36million - if the value of Everton remains the same - and most probably a fair bit more. The exit of long-standing director Woods would end his spell on the board that began in 2000 and continue the upheaval on and off the pitch at Goodison Park. There has been an unmistakeable sense of drift at Everton this season, in spite of the vast sums invested in the playing squad last summer when Ronald Koeman and recruitment chief Steve Walsh made such a hash of everything. A more hands-on approach is needed from key decision-maker Moshiri, whose cash has been spent so poorly in the last two years. He is clearly keen to extend his already formidable powerbase at Everton, but the loss of a sensible and experienced voice on the board will concern many who follow the club.