Why Everton have just become an even bigger…

Why Everton have just become an even bigger opportunity for US investors

The falling exchange rate for the pound against the dollar saw it briefly reach an all-time low earlier this week.

While that has signalled tough times for the UK economy, for a growing trend in English football it has only served to potentially accelerate it, as US investors, already keen for a slice of the game in this country, were given a further nudge by chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's 'mini-budget' that saw the pound tumble against the dollar.

The Bank of England stepped in to try and cool the market by embarking on a £65bn move to buy back government bonds, something that left the pound sitting and just a little over a dollar.

While the UK economy struggles, the value of the pound against the dollar means that US investment into the English game is even more attractive than it was. Had the sale of Chelsea to the Todd Boehly-fronted US consortium during the summer been concluded this week it could have been cost around $400m less.

During the summer Everton were heavily linked with a takeover from a US consortium fronted by former Manchester United CEO Peter Kenyon and financed by property tycoon and oil magnate John Thornton. That deal was kicked into the long grass by Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri in early July after a period of exclusivity between the two parties ended without agreement or any extension to talks.

Reports in the Financial Times on Thursday claimed that talks were back on between Moshiri and Kaminski and were at an 'advanced stage'. The ECHO has been told by sources close to KAM Sports LLC, the vehicle with which Kaminski had sought to takeover Everton, that 'materially nothing has changed' and that no deal is imminent and no paperwork has been sent to the Premier League ahead of any owners and directors test. It has also been corroborated that Kenyon and Thornton are now no longer part of the consortium, who have continued to be in dialogue since the end of the exclusivity period.

While Moshiri had seemingly pushed back on completely selling the club back in July, the need remained for further investment to be sought to help them secure the working capital to complete the stadium build at Bramley Moore Dock.

The current situation of the pound against the dollar means that securing investment from interested parties in the US may be more easily achievable than it was, with US investors who may have been waiting on opportunities possibly emboldened to press ahead given the likelihood that the pound does rally to more normal levels in the future.

Jordan Gardner, a US investor who has a minority stake in Swansea City, and who recently sold his majority stake in Danish side Helsingor and is now on the lookout for other opportunities in European football, told the ECHO : "I think that when it comes to those who can provide working capital it is interesting.

"The US dollar goes further than it did against the pound 12 months ago and I think that will push investors, whether institutional, high net worth or family offices, to be more decisive about placing their investments when maybe they had been sitting on the fence a little bit.

"There will be investors out there looking for arbitrage opportunities as well as those who are looking longer term.

"It won't be like this indefinitely, there will come a point when the pound will be stronger against the dollar and those who chose to get in now will be pleased. Investors want to put their money where it is safe and secure, given the value of the dollar to the pound now a good place is in the UK for American investors.

"Looking at Everton, they would likely be tailoring any search for outside investment towards institutional investors. They are absolutely in better shape to appeal to American investors than they were six months ago."

The potential for much greater yields for US investors could mean that the investment into the club that Moshiri had been seeking may have more avenues to explore than it did.

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