Former chief executive Keith Wyness believes prospective owners John Textor and Dan Friedkin could be “a good team” together at Everton
Prospective future owners John Textor and Dan Friedkin could work well together at Everton, reckons one of the club’s former chief executives. A report from Bloomberg on Monday claimed that Friedkin has reignited his plan to buy Everton despite walking away from a deal two months ago to end his period of exclusivity with Farhad Moshiri.
Textor has since entered talks with the Blues’ wantaway majority shareholder but would need to sell his 45% stake in Premier League rivals Crystal Palace before he can proceed with a takeover at Goodison Park.
Following Bloomberg’s report, sources the ECHO spoke to on Monday evening said that it was likely that the Friedkin Group were keeping all options open, but that it was also likely premature to think that they had returned with full force to the negotiating table.
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Alan Myers of Sky Sports reported on Thursday that the proposed deal for Textor to take over Everton is progressing well and a deal to purchase Moshiri’s shareholding is expected to be agreed very soon, adding that will see the Missouri-born digital media mogul begin the process of putting the finances in place, acquiring Premier league approval and selling his stake in Crystal Palace.
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Keith Wyness, who served as CEO at the Blues between 2004-09 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs, reckons that fellow Americans Textor and Friedkin might help each other by joining forces on Merseyside. The 66-year-old told Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast: “This news broke on Monday from Bloomberg.
“I don’t necessarily think Friedkin would be working with Textor in this case, although they could be a good team if they come together. Everyone forgets that Friedkin has already put £200million into the club, he’s a major debtor at the club.
“He could come back in by himself. I’ve always welcomed Friedkin, I did a lot of research on his time at Roma.
“What I do like about him is that he’s not been saying too much in the press, he’s letting actions speak louder than words. But Textor has made big statements in the press and got his knuckles wrapped by the club.
“The two together could work, but I don’t know the chemistry they have. My favourite situation would be Friedkin getting the lot. I would love that.”