In front of the media on Wednesday, John Textor had shown himself to be sure of himself. “There is a 90% chance of reaching an agreement but the current owner of Everton has a lot of choices,” declared the president of OL, in a press conference organized at his initiative.
But this Thursday, in a statement, the English club, “aware of his statements” calmed its ardor. “While positive discussions and progress continue to be made with Mr. Textor to formalize any agreement with him, there is still work to be done to finalize the transaction. Accordingly, the comments made by Mr. Textor represent only his personal point of view on Club matters,” wrote CEO Colin Chong.
“The Club will provide updates regarding the new investments when there is significant news to communicate to supporters and other stakeholders – and this will be done through the Club’s official channels,” the statement concluded.
“I would be the buyer myself, not Eagle Football”
Owner of Olympique Lyonnais via the Eagle Football group, John Textor confirmed his intention in mid-August to sell his shares to Crystal Palace in order to become the majority shareholder in Everton. The Premier League prohibits having shares in two clubs in the same division.
“The sale of Crystal Palace is moving forward,” the American businessman announced to the media on Wednesday. “We have very serious offers, we hope to sell it before the end of the year, it will generate a big cash inflow,” assured the man who is co-owner of the club to the tune of 45% via his company Eagle Football Group.
Before setting out his Everton buyout plan. “The potential acquisition of Everton would come from my own funding and, in the contract that is currently being discussed, I would be the buyer myself and not Eagle Football. The buyer of Everton would be John Textor. I would be the investor. A new holding company would be created. There would be no impact on OL Group. The acquisition would be done in equity if it goes well. There is a 90% chance of reaching an agreement but the current owner of Everton has many choices,” he assured.
- RMC Sport
