Everton FC chief executive Robert Elstone says the search for investment has not slowed down – and emphasised that there are no “unreasonable conditions” on the sale of the club to a prospective new owner.
Writing in his end of season blog, the Blues chief executive says Everton is an “appealing” proposition for anyone looking to invest but maintains they will only sell ?to an owner who will take the club “forward”.
Elstone writes: “The search for the funds that will allow the club to leap forward continues without any slowing down or any less enthusiasm.
“It is worth stating again, and very clearly, there are no unreasonable conditions on the sale of Everton.
“The only condition is one we think is perfectly reasonable – that the new owner has to want to, and must be able to, take the club forward.
“So much has been invested in getting the club to where it is today – respected, admired and well-run, and it would be very wrong, for the sakes of future Evertonians, to risk throwing that away.
“Our chairman has lived and breathed this Club for over 60 years, our deputy chairman, something similar.
“Without a shadow of doubt, the future of the club means everything to them. They want to get it right.
“The question remains – why haven’t we found the investor? And the simple truth over the past two years is not many deals are being done; it appears there aren’t many buyers.
“Over that period, the following clubs have changed hands; Fulham, Charlton Athletic, Leeds United, Reading and Sheffield Wednesday.
“Prior to that, as we set out at the last Shareholders’ General Meeting, our efforts to find new investment have been consistent, and the deals done have resulted in at best, some very ‘chequered’ levels of success.
“What remains a fact is that any prospective investor approaching Everton will find a receptive and transparent chairman, at the head of a well-run club, with a long list of appealing attributes: a club with a strong sense of purpose, a distinctive identity, a track record of top-six finishes, a great training ground and Academy that delivers some of the best young players in the country, a large, passionate and engaged fan base, with a great future ahead of it.”
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