Everton owner Farhad Moshiri is considering selling the Premier League club after entering talks regarding a takeover, according to former top-flight manager Alex McLeish.
The Lowdown: Moshiri's change of heart
The 67-year-old released a statement in July stating that the club was not for sale, although he might consider the possibility of a minority investment.
Contrary to his admission, reports two weeks ago suggested that the Iranian businessman was in advanced talks to sell the Merseyside club to Maciek Kaminski for ‘around £400m’.
The Latest: Moshiri backed to sell Everton
Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish insisted that now would be the right time for Moshiri to sell Everton, given that the value of the club is constantly increasing.
He said: “Everton have been down there for a couple of years now. The value of the club has not been high. They are talking about £400million, how much was the Newcastle takeover? £300million, I think.
“So it’s more expensive but you think about the new stadium coming and how well they are doing this season as well.
[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-8/" title="Everton news!" poster="" width="360" height="600" align="none"]
“You might say there is no better time to sell in terms of value. Does Moshiri want to get rid of the club? He wouldn’t be in talks if he didn’t want to so maybe there is a deal to be done there.
“It would certainly be big news for Everton and I think the fans want it.”
The Verdict: Right timing
Moshiri deciding to put Everton on the market is the right decision, given that they have failed to finish in the top half of the Premier League table for two out of the last three seasons.
As per Football Insider, Financial Fair Play rules state that no club can lose more than £105m over the course of three years, and the Blues have posted combined losses of £370m during that time.
After coming so close to relegation last term, alongside the financial outlay needed to fund the new stadium development, a change at the helm appears to be needed before things go from bad to worse for the club financially.