adminAlisher Usmanov is reportedly interested in returning to Everton as an investor, according to Alan Brazil.
Less than two years after acquiring the Toffees, the Friedkin Group are considering selling their controlling stake in the club.
They purchased 99.5 per cent of the Premier League side in December 2024 in a transaction worth more than £400million.
The acquisition brought an end to Farhad Moshiri’s turbulent spell at Everton, during which the club came dangerously close to relegation from the top flight.
Russian-Uzbek businessman Usmanov, whose net worth stands at $14billion (£10.5b) according to Forbes, previously worked alongside Moshiri, with the pair once holding a 14.58 per cent stake in Arsenal.
Usmanov subsequently secured an $15m (£11m) naming rights agreement for Everton’s Finch Farm training facility through USM Holdings in 2017. He later sponsored the women’s team through MegaFon, which he also co-owned.
However, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, Everton suspended their sponsorship agreements with USM and MegaFon, both Russian companies.
Usmanov was also sanctioned by the UK Government, in a similar move to the action taken against former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Nevertheless, talkSPORT Breakfast presenter Brazil revealed on Friday’s programme that he had heard rumours about the 73-year-old potentially returning to Everton.
“I can’t confirm it, but I hear that Usmanov is trying to get back into Everton,” he said.
He has got some serious, serious money…
“Mr Usmanov, who was behind Moshiri, it appears that he’s trying to get back in, if he can, to plough a load of dough into Everton.”
Could Usmanov invest in Everton again?
Under the UK’s sanctions, Usmanov was subjected to a travel ban and had his assets frozen.
He and Igor Shuvalov, who led Russia’s successful bid to host the 2018 World Cup, were identified as associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Usmanov and Shuvalov were removed from the European Union’s sanctions list last month.
However, according to Bloomberg, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham opposed the decision.
Burnham was speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and also stated that the UK would not remove its sanctions.
Consequently, Usmanov is currently unlikely to be permitted to invest in Everton amid the possibility of a change in the club’s ownership structure.
According to Forbes, Usmanov ranks as the 213th wealthiest individual in the world.
His global conglomerate, USM, owns the entirety of Metalloinvest, a Russian mining company with reported revenue of approximately $5.2b (£3.9b), according to the 311 Institute.
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