Farhad Moshiri was named as Everton's new shareholder on Saturday evening when the Iranian businessman was confirmed to have bought a 49.9% stake in the club.
Moshiri was a shareholder in Arsenal up until earlier this month, when he sold his stake in preparation of investing in the Goodison Park club. It is expected that Moshiri will increase his share in the club in the coming months and years until he becomes the majority shareholder.
The investment into Everton can only be seen as good news for the club who are currently suffering from a disappointing season. Roberto Martinez's side lie in 12th place. They had the weekend off, as their game against Liverpool was postponed due to the Capital One Cup Final.
STATEMENT: This afternoon’s statement in full... pic.twitter.com/ylcQxORBDj
— Everton (@Everton) February 27, 2016
Players like Romelu Lukaku, John Stones, Ross Barkley and Seamus Coleman are regularly coveted by other clubs, and Moshiri's investment may keep Everton's team together as financial pressures ease.
According to the Daily Mail, Roberto Martinez has spoken to Moshiri and has been guaranteed that funds are available to him in the summer. The team's relatively modest financial clout was shown in January with the deadline day signing of striker Oumar Niasse from Lokomotiv Moscow.
The team were knocked out of the Capital One Cup semi-finals by Manchester City and are at home to Chelsea in the Sixth Round of the FA Cup. The pedigree is there for the team to move on to the next level. Multi-million-pound investment could move the team into perennial contenders for Champions League football.
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