Football finance expert says who he expects to invest in Everton amid Farhad Moshiri decision

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes Everton will attract the eye of American investors.

Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri has refuted reports that the Toffees are up for sale.

However, Moshiri has admitted he's looking for additional capital, with Everton posting losses of £372 million over the past three years. The British/ Iranian businessman wants help with costs towards things such as the building of the new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium.

American group MSP Capital have been linked with buying into Everton.

And Maguire, speaking to talkSPORT, reckons that money coming from across the Atlantic is likely.

Maguire, a lecturer at the University of Liverpool and author of The Price of Football, said: "I think it would attract the same type of investors we've seen trying to get involved in football recently. There's huge interest in the Premier League from American investors. They feel we're not particularly good at selling clubs in general in terms of commercial appeal.

They feel they can get fans in for longer before and after. matches and generate more money on match days. There's a lot of affection from American investors for the British game and I can see them interested. The pound is still relatively weak against the dollar and that helps as well.

"We are operating and live in a very inflationary environment. Raw material costs have gone up, wages have gone up, general overheads, transportation of steel to the site - all these things are rocketing.

"It is going to cost significantly more than the original budget. Farhad Moshiri has funded it to date and I think he's now looking at outside sources. I guess if I was an outside investor, I'd feel I was in quite a strong negotiating position. There are other football clubs available but I'd want a return on my investment not just a financial return but in terms of decision-making. If you look at any major business, it's a combination of resource, opportunity and decision-making.

“Everton certainly have the resources, they generate the money partly through the owner, and they've had opportunities in terms of managers and the transfer market so you've got to look at the decision-making and I'd think someone would want to be on board to help guide the club forward.”