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- MSP is one of several interested parties in the club
- Firm has invested in X Games, McLaren F1 team and other European soccer teams
- Everton owner Farhad Moshiri had said investment deal was close
US private equity firm MSP Sports Capital is considering an investment in English top-flight soccer club Everton, according to Bloomberg.
New York-based MSP has reportedly held preliminary talks about buying a minority stake in the Premier League outfit and is one of several interested parties involved in discussions.
Everton are currently owned by British-Iranian businessman Farhad Moshiri, who recently insisted the club was not for sale but claimed a deal with a minority investor to help finance the Toffees’ new stadium was near.
“The club is not for sale but I have been talking to top investors, really quality, to bridge a gap on the stadium,” Moshiri said.
“I can do it myself and the reason I want to do it is to bring top sport investors to Everton. We are close to having a deal done. It is not selling the club at all. It is bringing more expertise in terms of sponsorship, commercial development.”
MSP was founded by Phoenix Suns co-owner Jahm Najafi and former sports agent Jeff Moorad, and a deal for Everton would expand its growing sports investment portfolio.
Last October, MSP secured a majority shareholding in the ESPN-owned action sports event franchise the X Games, adding to a minority stake in the McLaren Formula One team. The firm also has stakes in other European soccer clubs, including Portuguese top-tier side Estoril and Spanish third division outfit AD Alcorcón.
Investing in Everton would be MSP’s most high-profile soccer outlay to date during a time when the Toffees find themselves, as Moshiri put it, at “an existential point”. The club is second bottom in the league and its board has also incurred the wrath of fans for their performance off the pitch, posting losses of more than UK£100 million (US$124 million) for the last three years.
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