Toffees in scramble for funds
68-year-old billionaire is a savage blow – and comes at a time when Everton are in danger of dropping out of the Premier League, which would aggravate an already vulnerable financial situation.
Usmanov, through a lucrative naming rights deal, would have helped finance the club’s new futuristic Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium which is now underway.
That potential deal has now been stopped in its tracks along with commercial tie-ups with Russian firms.
It’s believed that Usmanov has also provided financial backing in other areas of the club, including on the playing side.
He has been involved in the appointment of managers – there have been six during the Moshiri reign – and player recruitment.
It all conspires to make this a worrying time for the Merseyside club and manager Frank Lampard, who has also seen former employers Chelsea plunged into crisis.