The global sports consortium Sportsbank want to invest in Eagle Football, but would ask John Textor to keep his 45 per cent stake in Crystal Palace.
Sources have told Standard Sport that Sportsbank are one of three groups who have made an offer. Both of the other two interested groups wish to instead purchase Textor’s 45 per cent stake directly rather than invest in Eagle Football.
Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings group also own French club Lyon, Brazilian side Botafogo and RWD Molenbeek of Belgium.
Textor came close in the summer to buying Everton, whose 98.8 per cent takeover by the Friedkin Group was approved by the Premier League on Thursday.
Sportsbank was set up by Zechariah Janjua and Navshir Jaffer, who are being advised by the experienced football financier Keith Harris. He previously oversaw takeover deals at Manchester City, Aston Villa and West Ham.
It has long been known that Textor wishes to own a majority stake in a Premier League or Championship club, and it is understood that Sportsbank’s interest in investing in Eagle Football is with a view to helping Textor take a majority share in Palace, or a full takeover of the south London club.
The merchant bank Raine Group have been hired to oversee the process which could see Textor sell his stake to one of the other two interested parties.
Besides Textor’s 45 per cent stake, Josh Harris and David Blitzer each own 10 per cent stakes in the club, as does chairman Steve Parish, who retains the deciding vote on key decisions on Palace’s board.
Back in August 2021, Textor invested £86million in Palace, originally for a 40 per cent stake. He said in a statement in August this year that he had tried “everything possible” to buy a 100 per cent of the club.
A statement from Eagle Football Holdings on October 29 stated the group “expect to identify a finalist and buyer in early November 2024.”
