CatcherintheRye - good article and I hope your right about the steps being made by AU.
For me, the events of the last 18 months at EFC plus the persistent rumours suggest that Moshiri and Usmanov's plan was to have ownership/influence at 2 big football clubs. The difference is that whilst the Gooners are already there as a recognised force, Everton are in need of 3 major impetuses:
1 - hard cash to improve performance/results - not there yet I know but hopefully not too far away with a few more major signings despite this terrible run of form and performance that we are currently in. Prior to Lukaku leaving we signed players that would have been out of reach before.
2 - A new home linked directly to the cash cow that is Liverpool Waters - vista Liverpool this weekend and the whole area has huge potential. My red uncles are not too happy at all about it. Also drove past Stonebridge cross - so pleased that was not entertained by FM ( a good sign of the ambition & long term plan)
2 - Improvement in image and brand - way off this at the moment but small steps forward including - signing Rooney / media coverage via Sky & other media outlets / Angry Birds / USM FF / Sportpesa - all are gradually improving the brand and marketability of the club. Could a new kit deal be next I wonder?
Farhad Moshiri stated that he and Alisher "...have always done everything together..." before hastily adding "...but not Everton..." earlier in the year. The latter remark he is naturally going to say whilst his business partner continues to hold shares in the Gooners owing to the ownership rules. I can't help thinking though - why after so many years of financial ventures and success together would they change that approach now to a speculative business that generally costs money rather than makes it, unless you are at one of the current footballing super powers - Madrid / Chelsea / Man U / Barca / Munich / City or PSG? Why not have power at 2 clubs and double your chance of TV income/winning in the long term, particularly in the PL?
I think if AU could get control of Arsenal he would buy them immediately, leaving FM up at Everton to continue the work he has started. It would still be a footballing partnership with interest in both clubs. They would have potentially 2 big clubs in the future able to compete against the other 5 clubs with all the dosh. However, if AU is in a state of inertia, unable to influence the Arsenal Board then maybe, just maybe his hand will be forced, he will sell and move to a club with huge potential. ready to make the next step where he will have direct influence and control. Let's face it - he didn't have to buy Moshiri's Arsenal stake - its not like he gained more influence once he did. Much more likely it was an enabling decision to release him for the 'Everton project.' He definitely won't sell to Kroenke I think, but maybe there is somebody else that we are unaware of that he has lined up to replace him. Cannot really him selling to an African billionaire (Dangote) if Arsenal is a club that he does actually care about, at least a bit unless Dangote is in a position to challenge Kroenke directly or he knows Kroenke would sell to Dangote, just not to AU.
There are some posters on here who seem so confident that AU is already here that I am clinging to the hope that he will arrive at some point with the power to inject even more cash, change our profile further and bridge the financial gap that other posters have talked about with excellent assessments and articles. With or without AU though and despite the terrible start the club has had in the PL this season, we are generally in a far better position than we were 2 years ago, aren't we? Even if we had the Sultan of Brunei ( I remember that rumour along with Paul McCartney) FFP would prevent us from doing a City or a PSG. It's gonna take a bit more time but I am hopeful we will get there or at least much, much closer with or without a Russian Oligarch at the helm.
Rumours are that Everton supported the recent push at the PL meeting for the selfish dosh clubs to receive more TV money. If Everton didn't really have ambitions to join them and any confidence that they would be able to do so soon, I am not sure they would be doing that as the gap would just get even wider. They must be pretty confident that we won't be forever playing catch up - we are going to be amongst it soon or even that if there is a breakaway Super League, Everton feel they should be part of it rather than on the outside looking in. Voting alongside the dosh clubs would surely strengthen their case for inclusion - voting against would leave them ostracised.