Everton takeover battle as MSP Sports Capital bid made to rival Andy Bell and George Downing

MSP Sports Capital have made an Everton takeover bid to rival that of fellow creditors Andy Bell and George Downing, according to Paul Joyce.

The Times journalist reported via the paper’s website on 7 June that the American company have made an offer for the Toffees, but the pair of Evertonians were “hoping to steal a march on them” with the support of US billionaire Michael Dell who is backing their bid.

Bell and Downing have already put around £50million of their own money into the club and were part of the group of creditors along with MSP who 777 Partners were unable to pay back by the original 10 April deadline, or the twice-extended 31 May deadline which finally saw their exclusivity agreement with Farhad Moshiri end.

Bloomberg had reported on 9 May that the New York-based MSP were exploring a deal to takeover the club in the wake of 777’s bid collapsing, and according to Joyce they have put a bid in.

Meanwhile Roma owner Dan Friedkin has also made an offer to Moshiri [Gazzetta dello Sport, 8 June], although John Textor has withdrawn from the race after talks with the Toffees majority shareholder [Bloomberg, 7 June].

Farhad Moshiri fields multiple Everton bids after 777 collapse

There had been an option for MSP to step in and take control once their loans, believed to be over £150m, weren’t repaid by 777 but they instead agreed to an extension brokered by Moshiri himself. It was then reported by i News on 31 May just as the previous exclusivity agreement approached its end that MSP, Bell and Downing had all agreed an extension on those terms, with the report’s author Mark Douglas speculating via Twitter the same day that it was due to neither side wanting Moshiri’s stake and to give him space to find a new buyer. Instead it now appears that both sides of the group do want to take majority control, albeit presumably on different terms, but MSP may find the opportunity has gone now that Dell, named the 10th richest man in the world by The Times report, is backing Bell and Downing.

The computing billionaire’s presence behind the two Merseyside businessmen is said to have caught Moshiri’s attention [Daily Mail, 8 June], although the arrival of Friedkin in the race has complicated the picture further.

After months with an apparent dearth of options outside of 777 as red flags mounted around the Miami outfit and concerns for the future of the club grew along with them, there is suddenly a plethora of avenues Everton could seemingly go down.

That in itself appears to be a major step forward, but until one option is chosen by Moshiri and they successfully do what 777 couldn’t – satisfy the Premier League – then in practice the club is still back at square one.