Everton may have 'dodged a bullet' after shock takeover twist - Keith Wyness

Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has admitted the club may have dodged a bullet after former takeover suitor John Textor’s financial trouble in France.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – claimed the US billionaire must deliver his Initial Public Offering (IPO) for Eagle Football to avoid further issues.

Textor came close to buying Everton but struggled to sell his 45% stake in Crystal Palace before The Friedkin Group came back in and made an acceptable offer to Farhad Moshiri in September.

Shocking news broke last week that Textor-owned French giants Olympique Lyonnais have been provisionally relegated from Ligue 1 and handed a transfer ban after racking up huge debts.

Textor and his company Eagle Football had been planning to raise capital through an IPO which targeted a reported $500million in funding.

Textor ‘bullet dodged’ at Everton after shocking Lyon news

Wyness insisted “a lot rests” on the businessman making Eagle a US-listed company as his current investors “won’t throw good money after bad”.

He told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “Did we dodge a bullet? To be honest, maybe.

“He’s preoccupied on a number of fronts right now. He’s trying to sell the Palace share, he says he’s had four offers which don’t meet the valuation.

“Textor is trying to convince the French authorities that Eagle Holdings as a whole has enough money to cover the Lyon situation.

“He feels they can look at that big picture and decide against relegating the club.

“It’s a big battle going on right now.

“A lot rests on him getting his IPO away in the US. The Eagle investors have deep pockets, but they won’t throw good money after bad.

“He’s got to show that this IPO is going to happen, then he can breathe a little easier.”

In other news, Everton senior man in talks to join PSV.

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