Finance expert drops Everton takeover verdict amid £865m Liverpool-based duo interest

Kieran Maguire believes that Everton fans may be sympathetic towards the Liverpool-based duo of Andy Bell and George Downing.

The two super-rich Toffees creditors have a combined net worth of £865million [Bell – £365million and Downing – £500million] and have shown some interest in buying the club and even waiving off their loans.

Farhad Moshiri remains committed to selling his stake at the club, but it appears hard for him to sell with him possibly needing to write off his £450million in shareholder loans to the club.

Maguire, a finance expert told the Liverpool Echo on 10 May: “It’s like if your house is worth £400,000 and your mortgage is £600,000. It’s hard to see why anyone would be willing to pay Moshiri anything for the football club.

“There are going to be a few people that may need to take a haircut here. There are a number of different levers that can be pulled to try and restructure the debt and get it down to a manageable level.

“In the case of someone like Andy Bell or George Downing, who have provided some financing, as Evertonians they are likely to be pretty sympathetic to what’s going on and try and find a solution that is best for the club. For someone like Rights and Media Funding Limited it is more difficult as they have no emotional attachment to any of this.”

Everton future hangs in the balance amid takeover uncertainty

The future of Everton hangs in the balance as the takeover saga takes further twists and turns. With 777 Partners’ chances of acquiring the club now remote due to financial and legal issues, the focus shifts to MSP Sports Capital as a potential new owner.

However, the club faces significant debt challenges, including a cash flow deficit and debt obligations.

MSP or any new owner will need to restructure the club’s debt significantly, possibly converting loans to equity or writing off shareholder loans.

The success of any new ownership will depend on their ability to quickly reduce the club’s debt to manageable levels.

This could involve raising equity to pay down debt, refinancing existing debt on more favourable terms, and potentially selling players to raise funds.

Despite the grim possibilities of administration, the club is said to have funding in place through the summer and will receive central funding from the Premier League based on performance. The future of the Toffees hinges on finding a new owner capable of navigating the financial challenges and restoring the club’s stability and competitiveness.