Proposed new Everton owner John Textor has revealed his potential takeover of the Toffees will not affect the Eagle Football Group.
The American businessman is chairman of the group which holds stakes in both Crystal Palace and French side Lyon, in addition to three other clubs.
Textor, 58, has been granted a period of exclusivity by Farhad Moshiri to buy his majority share in the club.
And with negotiations ongoing, the American believes a deal is close for him to become the sole owner of the Toffees.
‘The potential acquisition of Everton would come from my own funding,’ Textor told RMC Sport. ‘The deal that is being discussed would be me as the buyer and not Eagle Football.
‘The buyer of Everton would be John Textor. I would be the investor. A new holding company would be created. There would be no impact on OL Group.
‘The acquisition would be done with equity if it goes well. There is a 90% chance of reaching an agreement, but the current owner of Everton has a lot of choice.’
Textor’s desire to take over Everton is currently being affected by his 45 per cent stake in Palace.
The Premier League forbids individuals from owning more than one club in the same division, meaning Textor will have to sell his share in the Eagles.
As talks intensify, the Palace shareholder has admitted that his position at the south London side is continuing to complicate matters.
In an interview with Sky Sports, he said: ‘I’m in an awkward spot but we’re working through it. The awkward spot is that I can understand the club’s position – the accounting position – and I feel it’s manageable in terms of the PSR problem.
Textor has a deadline of November 30 to complete his acquisition of Everton before his exclusivity agreement ends.
With the clock ticking, the American has provided an update on the inherent sale of his stake at Palace.
He continued: ‘We have 14 groups interested in Palace who are very qualified and we have five that went to the next level and now we have two who have made good bids while there is also the possibility that our partners might still want it as they love the club as much as I do.
He continued: ‘We have 14 groups interested in Palace who are very qualified and we have five that went to the next level and now we have two who have made good bids while there is also the possibility that our partners might still want it as they love the club as much as I do.
‘We’re into the final week or two of knowing who the buyer will be. The contract I have with Farhad gives us a lot of time for that as November 30 is our deadline set to make sure we can complete it.’
While there are still obstacles in Textor’s way, his excitement regarding the deal is evident. He has even likened it to one of the greatest honours in his homeland.
‘Nobody wakes up and thinks, “I get to buy Everton”,’ he added. ‘But if you decide football is what you want in your life, and then somebody comes along and asks you if you want to become the owner of Everton, it’s like someone asking you if you want to be President of the United States. Of course, you do.
‘When it becomes available, obviously I’m not just interested but hopefully we can get it done. It would be quite an honour.’
