John Textor, the chairman of the Eagle Football group, which includes French club Lyon, has declared his confidence in acquiring English Premier League side Everton. During a press conference at Lyon’s training center, Textor stated that the takeover has a “90 per cent chance” of happening, acknowledging that Everton’s current owner, Farhad Moshiri, has other options on the table.
In August, Moshiri reportedly granted Textor exclusivity to explore a potential takeover. Textor has confirmed that he intends to purchase the club “in my own name,” emphasizing that the acquisition will be entirely financed by him personally. “It would come from my own financing. I will be the buyer, not Eagle,” he clarified.
Eagle Football’s portfolio also includes Botafogo, currently leading the Brazilian league, and Molenbeek, relegated to the Belgian second division last season. Notably, Eagle Football owns 46% of Crystal Palace, a Premier League rival of Everton. Textor initially acquired the majority of these shares in his own name before consolidating them under the Eagle Football umbrella in November 2022.
The company took control of Lyon the following month. Due to Premier League regulations, Textor must divest his stake in Crystal Palace before acquiring Everton. “The money from this sale will be allocated to Eagle Football to repay part of its debts,” he explained, adding that a portion will be utilized to “develop our academies around the world and recruit talent.”
Textor emphasized that this transaction will have no impact on Lyon. “There will be no impact on Lyon, but it could be a good partnership all the same. It will be debt-free,” he concluded.
