Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has delivered his verdict on the ongoing takeover speculation surrounding Everton.
The lowdown: Story so far
Earlier this summer, it was reported that a group spearheaded by former Manchester United and Chelsea CEO Peter Kenyon are interested in taking over from owner Farhad Moshiri at Goodison Park, sparking suggestions that the Iranian was ready to walk away from the Toffees.
However, despite holding conversations with Kenyon and Talon Real Estate chief executive Maciek Kaminski, Mohiri has insisted that the club wasn’t for sale, but instead the owner was open to the idea of ‘minority investment’ coming into Everton.
Following a fresh report from i News suggesting that the Kenyon-Kaminski group remain keen on striking a deal for the Merseyside outfit, one well-informed onlooker has had his say on the current state of play…
The latest: ‘Worst of both worlds’
Speaking to Football Insider, regular Sky Sports contributor Maguire has claimed that allowing outside parties to invest into the club would be the nightmare scenario for the Toffees.
He said: “They would only be attracted to minority investment if it is a gateway to an ultimate takeover.
“For a club like Everton that have lost so much cash under Moshiri and has shown a fairly wild west to financial prudence, why buy into, say, 30 per cent of that when you don’t have the ability to control the level of expenditure?
“To a certain extent, it’s the worst of both worlds. You’re putting money into an organisation but you’re not allowed to put your foot on the brakes when it comes to spending.”
The verdict: No clarity
Heading steadfast towards the 2022/23 campaign, as things stand there is genuine unrest behind the scenes at Everton, manifesting itself in a protest at Goodison Park over the weekend.
That isn’t helping matters on the field either, as Frank Lampard and Kevin Thelwell seemingly struggle to acquire their top targets in the market, having only added the free agent capture of James Tarkowski so far this summer.
The Toffees have also lost talismanic forward Richarlison to Premier League rivals Tottenham, whilst a nightmarish 4-0 defeat at the hands of MLS outfit Minnesota United highlighted the problems remaining within the squad which need resolving during the ongoing transfer window.
Ultimately, with the new season now only two weeks away, a new stadium under construction and time remaining to do business in the market, Everton’s hierarchy needs to offer an outright solution to the off-field matters in order to focus fully on the issues in hand and give Lampard the tools to make progress on the pitch.
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