LIVERPOOL, England (AP) – Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov has paid Everton 30 million pounds ($39 million) to secure an exclusive option on naming rights for the Premier League club’s proposed new stadium.
The 66-year-old Usmanov, who sold his 30% stake in Arsenal for 550 million pounds in August 2018, is a long-time business partner of Everton’s majority shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, and already sponsors the club’s training ground.
His holding company, USM, now has an agreement in place for first option of naming rights, at current market rates, once the venue at Bramley-Moore Dock is near completion.