Everton not for sale, says Moshiri
Farhad Moshiri, Everton's majority shareholder, has stated that he will not leave the club in its current state, despite calls from supporters to do so.
However, the British-Iranian businessman is looking for outside funding to help fund the completion of Everton's new 53,000-seat stadium.
"The club is not for sale, but I've been talking to top investors of real quality to bridge a gap on the stadium.
"I can do it on my own. I want to do it because I want to attract top sports investors to Everton. We're getting close to a deal.
"It's not about selling the club; it's about bringing more expertise in terms of global sponsorship and commercial development," Moshiri said in a video interview with the Everton Fan Advisory Board, which was posted on the club's website.
Frank Lampard was fired as manager of Everton on Monday, putting the club's 69-year stay in the Premier League in jeopardy.
Poor performance on the field has sparked fan unrest, with numerous protests against Everton's board in recent weeks, prompting the directors to skip a match against Southampton earlier this month due to security concerns.
Moshiri has poured money into the company since its takeover in 2016. Everton has lost £372 million ($457 million) in the last three years.
However, he has been heavily chastised for his management of the club, with Lampard becoming the club's seventh permanent manager to leave in seven years.
The Everton Stadium, which will be built in Liverpool's Bramley Moore Dock, is set to open for the 2024-25 season.
Everton narrowly avoided relegation last season thanks to the Goodison Park crowd.
Moshiri requested that the team be supported in this manner in response to a "existential" crisis.
"We are living in the most critical period in our history. It's almost an existential crisis.
"I am committed to this club, not just to this stadium but to join the elite. But I need your assistance.
"The fans are the most important part of the Everton tradition. We must go through this together because we are the only ones who can.
"Everton has relied on Goodison and the twelfth man. I know we are much weaker without the fans' full support, and I will do whatever it takes to get the fans on board. "I'm on it around the clock," he added.
Everton will not play again until February 4, when they host Premier League leaders Arsenal.
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