Farhad Moshiri sat on stage at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall and, in a rare unscripted and direct communication with Evertonians in 2017, declared he did not buy Everton to turn it into a museum. The last six years have invited criticism the club’s erratic owner has created a mausoleum instead. And yet, despite the decay, the debts and the descent of the nine‑time champions of England, there is more trepidation than jubilation among the fanbase at confirmation of Moshiri’s planned exit. 777 Partners, Everton’s prospective new owner, must allay not only the concerns of the Premier League and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in its attempt to secure the club’s future.
Bar the notable exception of a construction site at Bramley‑Moore dock, home to Everton’s planned and hugely impressive 52,888-capacity new stadium, Moshiri has been almost ruinous for the club. The generosity of the British-Iranian billionaire cannot be faulted given he has invested more than £750m in Everton since acquiring an initial 49.9% stake in 2016. But recruitment on his watch has been woeful – on players, managers and directors alike – and an impatient, impressionable owner has paid a substantial price.
