The consortium that hopes to buy Everton

Farhad Moshiri has been contacted by several groups interested in acquiring his majority share of Everton. To date, the group led by former Chelsea and Manchester United chief executive  PeterKenyon are in pole position.

There has been a head of terms agreement drafted — essentially a non-binding document that sets out the main issues in a proposed takeover or sale.  Nobody close to the talks expects them to be resolved imminently.

Some close to Moshiri are urging caution, counselling him that if he were to plough ahead with building the stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock in time for the 2024-25 season, he may then be able to sell the club for around £1 billion — double the £500 million he presently values Everton at.

But Moshiri, who seven days ago broke his silence to supporters to apologise for the mistakes of his six-year reign thus far and reiterate his commitment to building Goodison Park’s successor, may yet decide two years is too long to wait.

The Athletic understands that, ideally, the former accountant would retain a 10 per cent stake in the club after any potential takeover, but it remains to be seen if his conditions and valuation of the club are shared by any of the interested parties.

Last week, Everton agreed a record sponsorship deal with Stake.com which will mean a gambling firm’s logo again appears on the chests of their shirts, two years after splitting from SportPesa.  While it may plug a clear shortfall in funding, the move has attracted criticism from some supporters and campaigners. 

 the most high-profile member of the Kenyon group is US businessman John L. Thornton. Also 68, Thornton is a billionaire and the executive chairman of Barrick Gold, the world’s biggest gold and copper mining company.  Alongside Kenyon and Thornton around the table will be American real-estate tycoon Maciek Kaminski, who is chief executive of Minneapolis-based Talon Real Estate. 

Any consortium, the Kenyon one or otherwise, would need to ensure the new stadium project is fully funded and seen through to fruition — a substantial commitment that would almost double the cost of Everton for any potential buyer.