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Who controls Everton?

That is the question posed by the BBC in the wake of the Paradise Papers revelations: Who controls Everton?

Nothing I have seen convinces me that Premier League rules have been broken, although the Premier League may well want to look at the matter again in the light of these revelations. Whether the rules should be changed is another matter.

Farhad Moshiri sold his Arsenal stake in 2016 to buy nearly 50 per cent of Everton. But the leaks suggest his original Arsenal stake was funded by a "gift" from oligarch Alisher Usmanov, who owns 30.4% of Arsenal, raising the question of whether his money is now in Everton.

Mr Moshiri strenuously denied the money was a gift. Lawyers acting for him in the Everton deal said any allegation Premier League rules had been violated were wholly false. They say Mr Moshiri is independently wealthy and funded the football investments himself. Mr Usmanov's legal representatives said there were errors in the allegations and that the investigation was a gross intrusion into their client's privacy.

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