European Leagues

Everton takeover: Farhad Moshiri in ‘advanced talks’ with 777 Partners

American investment firm 777 Partners are in ‘advanced talks’ over full takeover of Everton, according to reports.

Late Monday evening, Bloomberg reported that the Miami-based firm, who have controlling stakes in multiple football clubs, were edging towards a deal to take control of the club and bring an end to current owner Farhad Moshiri’s time at the helm.

The Telegraph has now claimed that a deal is at an ‘advanced stage’ and that Moshiri, who acquired a majority stake in the Toffees back in 2016, would be leaving the club with a fraction of the money that he has ploughed into the club over the past seven and a half years.

777, co-founded in 2015 by Joshua Wander and Steven Pasko, have been adding clubs to their multi-club portfolio at pace in recent years, with the firm having targeted largely distressed assets, with acquisitions of Standard Liege, Red Star FC, Hertha Berlin, Genoa, Vasco da Gama and Melbourne Victory all being concluded.

Everton have been seeking external investment for both the club and the stadium for some time. Earlier this summer it appeared that a deal was all but done with New York-based MSP Sports Capital for £150m in funding, £100m of it for the stadium and the rest to recapitalise the club. However, owing to objections from existing lender Rights and Media Funding Limited to various aspects of the deal, the plan for MSP to take an equity share in Everton and operational control was abandoned, although the £100m loan deal remains intact.

Everton had been in talks with 777 Partners earlier this year before breaking off to enter into an exclusivity agreement with MSP. Once the MSP deal was ended for a stake in the club, talks almost immediately resumed with 777 Partners, who are keen to add a Premier League football club to their portfolio.

European Leagues

Richard Keys Makes Pep Guardiola Sack Claim After Man City Draw v Everton

Richard Keys believes Pep Guardiola would have been sacked after the loss to Everton if he had not been the Manchester City manager.

Sean Dyche’s team held the Sky Blues to a 1-1 draw at the Etihad on Thursday [26 December], making it one win in nine Premier League matches for Pep Guardiola’s team.

Iliman Ndiaye equalised for the Blues to secure a point, and Keys believes the former Barcelona head coach would have been relieved of his duties had he been managing a team towards the bottom of the table.

Speaking on beIN SPORTS 1 [26 December, 17:11], the 67-year-old said: “It’s one win in 13 in all competitions for City now. Five points from 27 in the Premier League. If that’s a manager at the bottom, he gets the sack.”

Sean Dyche relieves Everton sack pressure after Manchester City draw

Guardiola has been arguably the finest manager anywhere in the world for more than a decade, and while calls for sacking him feel absurd, the Spaniard certainly needs to turn things around at the Sky Blues.

Dyche was under pressure at the Toffees not long ago after a poor start to the season, but the Englishman has turned things around in recent weeks.

The Blues were languishing close to the relation zone before a set of tricky fixtures in December, and many of the Goodison faithful were fearful.

However, Everton have gone up against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City in their last three games and have taken a point from each.

Dyche must be commended for the remarkable set of results, and his conservative approach to football has certainly been instrumental.

The 53-year-old head coach has quelled the noise around his future in the Goodison dugout, but it remains to be seen whether The Friedkin Group will pull the plug if things go sideways in the coming months.

With Nottingham Forest up next on Sunday [29 December], the Blues can’t rest on their laurels and must see off Nuno Espirito Santo’s unexpectedly successful team.

In other Everton news, an ESPN image shows what might have helped Jordan Pickford during the Erling Haaland penalty save.

European Leagues

Bruno Fernandes sees red as Manchester United slump to another Premier League defeat

Manchester United’s struggles continued in a bruising St Stephen’s Day defeat at Vitor Pereira’s resurgent Wolves as Matheus Cunha scored one and provided another shortly after Bruno Fernandes saw red.
Gary O’Neil’s successor followed up Sunday’s 3-0 victory at Leicester with another impressive win as the Portuguese’s first match at Molineux ended with a huge boost in their bid to stay up.

Wolves deserved their 2-0 win, exposing the set piece frailties of Ruben Amorim’s stumbling side as Cunha beat Andre Onana directly from a corner shortly after Fernandes’ third sending off the season.

Star man Cunha – whose availability had been in doubt with a Football Association misconduct charge hanging over him – teed up substitute Hwang Hee-chan to wrap things up at the death.

New boss Pereira punched the air after his perfect star continued, inflicting a fifth defeat in 10 matches in all competitions on Amorim.

This was an alarming United display four days on from a 3-0 home humbling by Bournemouth, leaving them languishing in 14th spot.

Cunha shone amid the Molineux fog from the outset, drawing fouls during the early exchanges that saw Leny Yoro and Fernandes booked. The latter decision would prove particularly costly.

European Leagues

Ola Aina And Taiwo Awoniyi Star As Nottingham Forest Execute Toothless Tottenham

Super Eagles stars Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi featured for Nottingham Forest as they defeated Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 at the City Ground, Soccernet.ng reports.

Nottingham Forest returned to Premier League action with a fixture against Tottenham at home. The Tricky Trees have been impressive this season, claiming the scalps of Manchester United and Aston Villa recently, and they were looking to continue their run.

Super Eagles defender Aina kept his place on rhe starting XI, while Awoniyi started from the bench. Tottenham started the game on the front foot, with Mats Selz making some important saves in the first 25 minutes.

However, Nottingham Forest had a big chance in the 28th minute, and they took it. Sweden star Anthony Elanga produced an effort from inside the box to open the scoring.

Tottenham probed hard for the equalizer, but they failed to get it. In the second half, Nottingham Forest were solid and stopped Tottenham for getting good looks at goal. Super Eagles star Aina put in a great shift at right back, registering three clearances and one tackle. Despite facing a lightning-fast Brennan Johnson, he was dribbled past just once.

Awoniyi was introduced into the game in the 87th minute, and he had an opportunity just a minute after his introduction, but he dragged his shot wide.

Nottingham Forest had an easy end to the game, as Djed Spence got sent off in stoppage time. It eventually ended 1-0 to the Tricky Trees, as they won their 10th game of the season.