Josh Wander, co-founder of 777 Partners, and Farhad Moshiri speak exclusively with Sky Sports News correspondent Alan Myers. A new owner is needed to propel Everton forward and into its new stadium on the banks of the Mersey. 777 Partners hopes to play that role and persuade the sceptics.Everton will head into this week’s 209th Merseyside league derby at Anfield boosted by a confidence-boosting victory, and performance, against Bournemouth, with manager Sean Dyche saying that fans are seeing an improvement in performances even if results have not always followed. Off the pitch, though, the overriding sense for the majority of club members is uncertainty.The proposed takeover of Farhad Moshiri’s majority stake by Miami-based 777 Partners is currently navigating the regulatory process involving the Premier League, the FA, and the Financial Conduct Authority, which is expected to take until the end of the year.
Since the transaction with Moshiri was revealed in September, 777 Partners has been the focus of some unwanted attention, with numerous distinct stories surrounding them creating scepticism among some Everton supporters.
I understand that they have already supported the club with up to £65 million in funding, but the company is reluctant to speak publicly, in detail, about its plans for the club and future investment, other than to say that they are excited about the prospect of becoming owners and will communicate more fully at the appropriate time.
However, in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, Moshiri underlined his confidence that the US group is the best option.
“The more time I have spent with the 777 team, the more confident I am that we have found the right people to take the club forward in the modern era,” he told us.
“They are highly professional and deliver exactly when they say they will, and I look forward to them achieving all their regulatory approvals and proceeding to completion on the timetable we set.” 777 said they wish to respect the due process with authorities and that it would be inappropriate to remark in detail until it is concluded.
We contacted co-founder Josh Wander, who declined to comment on the Everton deal for the reasons stated above, but on recent criticism from fans at both Hertha Berlin and Standard Liege – as well as other negative headlines – he stated: “We’re humble enough to acknowledge that we don’t always get everything right the first time, and we have learned a lot over the past few years.”
“At the same time, I would challenge anyone to say we have not improved the sporting and financial performance of every club we’ve invested in, and done so in a fairly short period of time.”
Everton’s official Fan Advisory Board produced a list of issues they’d like the group to answer before acquiring the club. 777 has already held private discussions with a number of stakeholders, but sees answering those questions as part of the regulatory process as the urgent priority.
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