The Daily Telegraph - Sport

Kaminski ready to fund Everton transfer targets

- By Matt Law FOOTBALL NEWS CORRESPOND­ENT

The Kaminski family, bankrollin­g the takeover bid for Everton, are aiming to have reached agreement to buy the club by the time the team arrive in their home city to take on Minnesota United on July 21.

Maciek Kaminski, known as “MG”, hopes to be able to introduce himself to head coach Frank Lampard as the prospectiv­e new owner – if not the confirmed custodian – given the need to go through the Premier League owners and directors’ test and receive all the legal sign-offs.

The consortium, fronted by former Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon, is in talks to buy Everton, having signed heads of terms and been granted a period of exclusivit­y.

Those discussion­s remain on track and Kaminski, the chief executive of Talon Real Estate, has travelled to meet majority shareholde­r Farhad Moshiri and has visited Bramley-moore Dock, where the club’s new £500million stadium will be built.

An outline price in excess of £500million, which includes covering the club’s debts, has been agreed with the consortium, which is made up of the Kaminski family, Kenyon and American businessma­n John Thornton.

The group has also promised there will be funds made available, within financial fair play guidelines, for Lampard to spend in the second half of the summer transfer window if a deal is completed in time.

Kaminski, who was born in Poland and emigrated to the United States, made the majority of his wealth, the value of which has never been publicised, through investment in retail and commercial properties.

A source close to the family told Telegraph Sport: “Family real estate assets have historical­ly generated healthy investment yields.

“The figures quoted for the money it will cost to buy Everton, build the stadium and invest in the team are not a problem at all. Funding will not be an issue, in fact they are probably over-funded for what could be spent within the rules.”

The ability to cover the takeover costs and follow through on the building of Everton’s stadium is not expected to be an intimidati­ng project for the Kaminski family, who hold a portfolio of commercial and residentia­l property developmen­ts throughout the US.

Should they take a trip into downtown Minneapoli­s next month, then Lampard and his players would see the iconic 19-storey Soo Line Building, which was bought by Kaminski and converted from commercial to residentia­l use. The family also converted the historic Jackson Building from warehousin­g and sold it to a hotel developer.

Everton are viewed as the flagship acquisitio­n for what the Kaminski family are planning as a portfolio of sports clubs, media rights and entertainm­ent businesses under the recently created Kam Sports LLC organisati­on.

While planning to expand the Everton brand in North America ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the Kaminski

family and the consortium are said to be attracted to the club’s history, the passionate fan base and the opportunit­y to recreate some of the Merseyside club’s former

glories.

 ?? ?? Takeover talks: Maciek Kaminski
Takeover talks: Maciek Kaminski

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