Farhad Moshiri has owned shares in Everton for six years and has invested millions, yet the Goodison Park outfit are battling to avoid Premier League relegation under Frank Lampard.
The British-Iranian businessman first bought a 49.9% stake in the Toffees in February 2016 to end the Merseyside club’s decade-long search for investment. Moshiri has since upped his ownership gradually, and hit 94% control this February after converting a £100m loan.
Moshiri has not been afraid to make changes at Goodison over the years, with Lampard his seventh permanent coach. He fired Roberto Martinez three months after investing, before appointing Ronald Koeman, Sam Allardyce, Marco Silva, Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez.
Everton have also fluttered millions on transfers, with no successes to show for Moshiri’s money. After the January 2022 sales, the Blues’ total spend under the British-Iranian has exceeded £550m. Yet Everton have not finished above seventh in the Premier League.
The Toffees achieved their best finish in the Moshiri era under Koeman in 2016/17. They have also not reached either an FA Cup or EFL Cup semi-final since the 2015/16 campaign. So, who lined-up for Everton in their last top-flight fixture before Moshiri’s initial buy-in?
How Everton lined up in final game before Moshiri’s takeover, only one survivor
Everton lost 1-0 at home to West Brom in their last Premier League fixture before Moshiri took over in February 2016. A sole goal from Salomon Rondon – now a Toffees star signed by Benitez in August 2021 – proved the difference as the Blues struck the woodwork twice.
Ross Barkley and Gareth Barry came closest to scoring for the Goodison natives, in a line-up with only one survivor. Seamus Coleman is the sole Everton player who started against West Brom to remain at the Merseyside club over Moshiri’s six years of ownership to date.
Barkley, meanwhile, joined Chelsea in a £15m move in January 2018 and is still at Stamford Bridge, but rarely featuring. As for Barry, the former England international retired in 2020 following three seasons at West Brom, after leaving Everton for just £1m aged 36 in 2017.
The other eight starters against the Baggies were Joel Robles (GK), Phil Jagielka, Ramiro Funes Mori, Bryan Oviedo, James McCarthy, Aaron Lennon, Tom Cleverley and Romelu Lukaku. Only Lukaku left the Blues for a big fee when joining Manchester United in 2017.
The Red Devils paid £75m for the Belgian, who they sold to Inter Milan two years later for £74m. Another two years on, Lukaku was on the move again, joining Chelsea for £97.5m. He, Barkley, Lennon and Cleverley are the only ones still in the Premier League who left.
Jagielka joined Championship Stoke City in January 2022 after jaunts with Sheffield United and Derby County after leaving Everton. Robles now guards Real Betis’ net, Funes Mori is at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, Oviedo plays for Copenhagen and McCarthy is at Celtic.
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