Everton owner Farhad Moshiri has urged Toffees fans to “bear with us” as the club’s protracted sale enters “the home stretch”.
The Toffees’ Fan Advisory Board (FAB) this week wrote to Moshiri, potential owners 777 Partners and the Premier League seeking answers, and the takeover appears to have stalled since it was first agreed last September.
Fans also asked for clarification on what would happen if the deal doesn’t go through, but Moshiri and 777 responded to assure them that the takeover will go ahead and that the delay was due to the Premier League’s “approval process.”
The FAB published both letters from Moshiri and 777 managing partner Josh Wander on X and said they were still waiting for the Premier League’s response.
‘We have received responses to 2 of the 3 letters we sent on Monday. “Our letter to the PL was delayed due to technical problems on our part,” the FAB said.
‘The PL has promised to respond next week. We will discuss the three responses in more detail once we have received and assimilated them all.’
Moshiri, who first invested in Everton in 2016, said he remains “confident” that 777 are the right partners to take control of the Premier League club.
He said: ‘Securing full funding for the new stadium remains a priority and I can assure you from personal experience that 777 have met every request we have made of them to date.
“I now completely understand the frustration that the Premier League approval process has taken longer than originally expected.
“It’s not ideal, but we have to respect the Premier League process and hope it’s something we have to live with just a little bit longer.”
‘We fully respect all of our regulatory bodies, work closely and constructively with them and please be patient as we enter the final stretch.
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“I can also assure you that as soon as there is something definitive to say, we will share it with you immediately.”
Wander said 777 expected to complete the acquisition in about three months when it was announced the deal was nearing completion in September.
“None of us thought this process would take more than six months, instead of the 12 to 14 weeks we expected,” Wander said.
“I hope to answer your questions to the extent possible, but I want to manage your expectations that we will not be able to do so before the transaction is concluded, based on the advice we have received regarding ongoing regulatory processes.
“However, all of us at 777 Partners, including myself, remain committed to having a productive working relationship with the FAB and other organized supporters groups once we own Everton FC.”
