Everton will be hoping it is third time lucky when it comes to a prospective takeover.

After the collapses of 777 Partners and the Friedkin Group’s respective deals, John Textor has now reportedly reached an exclusivity agreement to buy Farhad Moshiri’s 94.1% stake.

Textor is keen to sell his 45% shareholding in Crystal Palace and add the Toffees to his Eagle Footballing Holdings. The American was in the fray to purchase Everton before the Friedkin Group gained exclusivity – and has come back to the table.

Everton’s challenging financial position has been well documented, with the club posting almost £400 million in losses over the past four years. In addition, more than £600 million is owed to more than three external lenders — A-Cap/777, Rights and Media Funding and the Friedkin Group.

The construction of the Blues’ new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock has been a chief reason behind their financial troubles. The state-of-the-art facility, which has a capacity of 52,888, is due to open for the start of the 2025-26 season. Revenue will increase significantly when it is up and running. And it could be one factor behind Textor’s interest.

Local businessman George Downing was in the reckoning to complete a takeover before the Friedkin Group along with his partner Andy Bell. Downing is a friend of former former Palace owner Simon Jordan, who is now a regular host on talkSPORT. And speaking earlier this week, Jordan suggested that Downing’s plans to monetise Everton revolved behind the new stadium substantially.

Jordan said: “Without breaking any confidence, I had conversations with George Downing about the club requirements of the club going forward and what he was going to do in the event that he did the deal.

“There was a lot of emphasis pushed on the emphasis that went towards the stadium and the monetisation of the stadium and enabling of it. There was a feeling that Everton could, irrespective of significant debt and the restructuring of it, manage the football club by making sure they ran it economically properly.

“Clearly, in the past, I don’t think that has been the case. I think they have been a mile off commercial activities and I think there was a lot of opportunity there that was really felt Everton could take advantage of.”

Speaking to the Daily Mirror last weekend, Textor – who also owners French side Lyon, Belgian club RWD Molenbeek and Brazilian outfit Botafogo, said on a potential Everton deal: “I am still an owner in Palace – I would have to clear out of that before I could buy anything else. We have made clear our interest in having a majority interest in a UK club, whether it is Championship or Premier League.

“Yes, we are looking at Everton along with everybody else. I would have to rationalise my interest in Palace before I could close anything.

“I am an Anglophile when it comes to football. When I see these legendary teams come along, some in the Premier League, some in the Championship, clubs that I grew up with, they have an appeal. They also have an appeal to our business model because if I follow these great teams, then so do athletes around the world.

“We are signing athletes down in Brazil right now because of the dream of playing on to Europe. It is important to have one of those great, authentic English clubs at the heart of our constellation of clubs.

“I say constellation not multi-club because I think every one of our clubs should be a champion. The feeder system doesn’t really work for us. But it does work that players from South, Central and North America all want to be here so it is important that we have a good partner in the Premier League as part of our family at Eagle. We will definitely keep looking until we find the right fit.”