Everton have remained tight-lipped over suggestions they have been targeted for a surprise takeover bid - just days after Farhad Moshiri reaffirmed his commitment to the club.
Peter Kenyon is fronting a consortium that wants to buy Everton and initial talks have already taken place, according to a new report.
On Tuesday evening, the Telegraph claimed former Manchester United and Chelsea CEO Kenyon is spearheading a group that includes the chief executive of Minneapolis-based Talon Real Estate, Maciek Kaminski, and American businessman John Thornton. The consortium is believed to be taking advice from US law firm Weil, Gotshal and Manges along with investment specialist Michael Klein.
The report suggests talks are at a “relatively early stage”, but that heads of terms may already be in place - signalling the intent to progress. Owner Farhad Moshiri values Everton in excess of £500million, including the club's debts, according to the Telegraph article.
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Kenyon's consortium will apparently seek assurances that the club will not be subject to a heavy fine or points deduction in relation to financial fair play rules before entering into any formal agreement. Everton insist they remain compliant and have comfortable headroom regarding the Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations.
Everton have not commented on the takeover speculation at this stage. But last week, Moshiri spoke on his plans for the Blues in an open letter to supporters.
He said: “I am committed to securing the future success of the club by delivering a fully funded stadium that will underpin our status as a leading club. Our new stadium project at Bramley-Moore Dock has reached an exciting and landmark stage as it emerges from the ground, with the four main cores now in place. Of course, the stadium alone will not help us achieve our objectives and we are committed to not making the same mistakes again including how we have not always spent significant amounts of money wisely.”
Moshiri signing off his message by declaring to fans: "Your incredible support is never taken for granted and together we move forward."
Kenyon is no stranger to football club takeover attempts. His Opto Advisers company has assisted with successful buyouts of Paris Saint-Germain and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and well as working with Atletico Madrid and Middlesbrough, plus involvement with a bid to buy Newcastle United.
A former co-president of Goldman Sachs, Thornton is the executive chairman of Barrick Gold, which the Telegraph states is "one of the world’s largest mining companies with a net worth of £31billion". He is also the non-executive chairman of PineBridge Investments. Specialist advisor Klein worked alongside Sir Martin Broughton in his consortium-led attempt to buy Chelsea.
The takeover report also comes just days after Everton announced a new shirt sponsorship deal with betting company Stake.com.
While tonight's claims may be something of a shock to many Blues fans, it was suggested in the national media earlier this year that Moshiri was "looking for outside investment" to help fund the new stadium. A Daily Mail piece from April said that while Everton was not "formally" on the market, a number of potential investors were pushing for a full sale of the club.
The report said Everton was "attracting interest from American buyers" and that "US-based bidders" had contacted Moshiri. The Iranian-born billionaire increased his stake in the club to 94.1% earlier this year, as a £100m capital injection was confirmed back in January.
