Everton's ownership questioned

EVERTON’S search for a new boss could be jeopardised after questions were raised about ­Farhad Moshiri’s ownership.

The Toffees want to bring in Burnley’s Sean Dyche this week after Ronald Koeman’s sacking.

But allegations made by BBC Panorama and the leaked Paradise Papers suggest 49 per cent major shareholder Moshiri broke Premier League rules with his 2016 buyout of the club.

The BBC’s investigation claims a document in the Paradise Papers shows Moshiri used money from the sale of ‘gifted’ Arsenal shares that he sold back to Alisher Usmanov — suggesting the Gunners investor’s money may have ended up in Everton. Premier League rules do not allow shareholders with more than 10 per cent in one club from buying into another.

Documents suggest Moshiri was given the shares when the duo bought an initial 14.58 per cent stake in Arsenal in 2007 through the ‘Red & White Holdings’ investment vehicle. Moshiri strongly denies he was gifted his Arsenal shares, while Everton and a spokesman for Usmanov, who is worth £12billion, deny the Arsenal shareholder has any involvement at Goodison Park.

Moshiri, worth £1.84bn, and his lawyers added that he is “independently wealthy” and the owner said it is a “mistake”.

The Paradise Papers — a batch of 13.4million documents leaked from a law firm — appear to show all the money for the deal came from Epion Holdings, a company owned by Usmanov. Panorama claim Moshiri’s lawyers originally denied the money came from Epion, but later admitted it had and the Iranian had later paid back Usmanov as part of an “employee incentive scheme”. Documents appear to show the ‘gift’ happening through a £63m transaction from Usmanov to Moshiri in March 2008.

Moshiri’s purchase, through a company called Blue Heaven Holdings, was approved by the Premier League before the deal went through last year. A Premier League statement said: “The League prohibits any club owner or director from having an interest in another club, or the ability to influence another club’s policies.”

The TV report also showed documents that say due diligence for Blue Heaven’s purchase of Everton was done by a company called Bridgwaters, which they claim was secretly owned by Usmanov.

Usmanov also denies he bought the company Bridgwaters.

In January 2017, a separate firm called USM holdings — run by Usmanov and Moshiri — agreed a multi-million pound deal with Everton over the naming rights for the club’s training ground.

From The Sun