Kenyon-led consortium’s Everton takeover falls through

Former Chelsea and Manchester United executive Peter Kenyon has been leading a United States-based group’s attempt to purchase Everton outright for the last few weeks, but it now appears their period of exclusivity has expired and will not be renewed, and their bid has fallen through.

Multiple reliable media sources (Chris Beesley - Echo, Paul Joyce, Times) are claiming the news even as it had originally been understood that the group were satisfied with majority shareowner Farhad Moshiri’s £1 billion valuation of the club including the new stadium under construction at the Bramley-Moore docks.

The Telegraph, who have been ‘in the know’ throughout the takeover conversation, reported earlier this week that there has been more forward progress in the talks.

“Those discussions remain on track and Kaminski, the chief executive of Talon Real Estate, has travelled to England to meet current majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri in person and has visited the site at Bramley-Moore Dock, where Everton’s new £500million stadium will be built which Kaminski has made a commitment to fund.

“An outline price, in excess of £500m, has already been agreed in principle for the sale of Everton to the consortium, which is made up of the Kaminski family, Kenyon and American businessman John Thornton, and covers the club’s debt.

“The group have also promised there will be funds made available, within Financial Fair Play guidelines, for Lampard to spend and are keen to push the takeover through in time to have a proper run at the second half of the summer transfer window.”

However even as Evertonians are still reeling from the departure of Richarlison to Tottenham confirmed earlier today, now they have been hit by a new body blow as the club struggles to chart a course forward under the profligate spending by Moshiri and exacerbated by the Board’s inept management, led by long-time club chairman Bill Kenwright.

It had been previously reported that there were as many as four separate bids to purchase Everton this summer including the Kenyon group, so this should open up the door for the other three unidentified parties to step back into the conversation.

More to come on this.