Everton likely won’t be sold anytime soon.
Farhad Moshiri has reportedly received several offers for the Premier League club but has decided not to sell over concerns it could attract scrutiny from the U.K. government. Moshiri has ties to Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov.
U.K. authorities are keeping an eye on a potential sale, according to The Daily Mail.
Interest has increased recently due to last month’s publication of a white paper regarding the creation of an independent regulator with “backstop powers” to prevent takeovers.
Moshiri claimed in January that the team was not for sale, but that he was close to securing a minority investment to help fund a new stadium expected to cost around $596 million.
MSP Sports Capital and 777 Partners have been reported as potential investors.
Usmanov is the founder of USM, the former title sponsor of Everton’s training ground. USM had a deal in place for naming rights to the team’s new $655.9 million stadium until 2022, when the team cut commercial ties 24 hours before Usmanov was sanctioned by the government.
He owned a joint stake with Moshiri in Arsenal until 2016.
There have been previous reports that Usmanov gifted Moshiri’s original Everton shareholding and has held close interest in the running of the team until last year. Usmanov has denied exercising any control or owning shares.
