Everton buyer left hanging as trail goes cold after deal set to be struck - Paul Joyce

Dan Friedkin has become the preferred Everton bidder but a rival in the takeover race was twice told a deal would be done with them instead, according to Paul Joyce.

The Times journalist reported for the paper’s website on 14 June that as recently as a week previously that one of the other groups believed they were about to come out on top only for “the trail to then go cold”.

Friedkin has overcome four other reported bids from Andy Bell and George Downing, MSP Sports Capital, a Vatche Manoukian-led consortium, and most recently Vici Private Finance.

According to The Telegraph on 14 June the Roma owner has made an all-equity offer which turned Moshiri’s head.

Were Andy Bell and George Downing snubbed for Dan Friedkin in Everton takeover race?

The timings would suggest that the party who were informed they were about to do a deal and left hanging could be Evertonian business men Bell and Downing, who had appeared likely to get the go ahead.

Friedkin’s arrival into the picture on 8 June ties up with his interest grabbing Moshiri’s attention at that point, and both the Manoukian and Vici bids didn’t come to light until after the American.

The Bell-Downing offer, and fellow creditor MSP, were thought to be competing with the likes of part-Crystal Palace owner John Textor prior to that.

But he informed Goodison News that he’d never been a frontrunner and subsequently dropped out [Bloomberg, 7 June].

It is perhaps possible that 777 Partners backer A-Cap are the party in question as they were also known to be in the frame over a week ago, not least via the months-long failure of the previous bid.

However, they were not actually in the takeover race at that stage according to The Athletic (8 June), until The Telegraph then reported on 12 June that Moshiri was viewing A-Cap and Kenneth King as a serious option.

Whatever has happened it appears that the takeover saga, and the Toffees majority shareholder, have proven their unpredictability once more, with Friedkin seemingly emerging from a way down the field to agree a deal.

In other Everton news, the Toffees have responded after an eight-figure transfer bid was tabled.

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