Sam Allardyce makes 777 Partners and Farhad Moshiri claims amid Everton takeover

Sam Allardyce believes Everton couldn’t have asked for a ‘better owner’ than Farhad Moshiri in terms of the money he’s ploughed into the club.

Moshiri is in talks to sell his majority stake in the Toffees to American firm 777 Partners. Having arrived at Goodison Park in February 2016, more than £500 million has been spent on transfers while a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock is being constructed.

Yet Everton have posted combined losses of £400 million in the past four years while they have only narrowly avoided Premier League relegation in the previous two seasons.

Miami-based 777 Partners own several clubs include Genoa, Standard Liege and Hertha Berlin although The Telegraph suggests that senior UK government officials are placing pressure on the Premier League over a potential sale. Josh Wander, who founded 777 Partners, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in 2003 while the company faced allegations of fraud, offering illegal loans and failing to pay bills totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars in America.

Allardyce served as Everton manager between November 2017 and May 2018. Speaking to talkSPORT on the ongoing situation, he said: “They need to look at that with a lot of scrutiny and make sure that financially it’s right. You couldn’t have had a better owner than Farhad Moshiri, to be fair. What is it, £600 million in since he took over but unfortunately not gone in the right direction to take the football club. Great plans of building a new stadium but he’s probably had enough, probably had a look at football and thought it’s time for me to get out and someone else to take their reins.

“But who that might be needs to be selected very carefully for the ongoing financial situation at Everton - not just the team but for the stadium that needs finishing off.”

Everton’s profligacy in the transfer market under Moshiri has left them in a precarious financial situation. Current manager Sean Dyche had a tight budget in the summer window and admitted that the Blues had to ‘construct deals’ that made sense from a business perspective.

Allardyce added: “It was a number of different managers had a bit of a say but directors of football have been in there. We all know directors of football are more responsible for the signing of players now than managers or coaches. We’re just first-team coaches now, we’re not managers anymore. A number of those have been brought in and the right recruitment system has been put in place and now it’s a struggle for Sean because there’s none of that money left to invest in top-quality players.

“The players that have come in the past have come and gone. Some have been sold for a good profit but most have cost club money and that’s why they’re in the position they’re in now.”