Everton takeover: John Textor 'enters exclusivity talks' after Crystal Palace chief's admission

Chairman Steve Parish has explained why he believes his Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor wants to buy Everton - amid claims the American billionaire has entered into a period of exclusivity with Farhad Moshiri.

Textor, who has a 45% stake in Palace, reiterated his desire to purchase the Blues after the Friedkin Group pulled out of talks last month.

And now David Ornstein of The Athletic reports that the 58-year-old has become the fifth party to go into such discussions with Everton's wantaway majority shareholder Moshiri over the past couple of years.

Parish insists the situation at Palace remains amicable with Textor and told BBC Sport: “John has a multi-club setup and because he has a minority position in Crystal Palace it makes it more difficult for him to do the things that he wants to do.

“Personally, I think John is making a good a job as anyone in that multi-club situation, he has great assets.

“He wants a club that plugs into that where he controls everything that happens. We don't think that is right for us as a club right now.

“We do collaborate with his clubs where we can. He wants to go and do something else, we’re helping him do that.

“John has supported the club financially as we all have. He has put his part in and we have put our part in and we're all aligned on the strategy.

“We’re very happy to help John fulfil his ambitions. I was chatting to him on email while he was flying to Brazil last night. We will try to find the right people to come in his place.

“Josh (Harris), David (Blitzer) and I between us have 55% with some friends. It’s a very stable situation for the club and very amicable. We will work to wish John well and do our best to get him in the position we want him to be in.”

Speaking to the ECHO’s sister paper, the Mirror earlier this month, Textor, said: “I am still an owner in Palace – I would have to clear out of that before I could buy anything else. We have made clear our interest in having a majority interest in a UK club, whether it is Championship or Premier League.

"Yes, we are looking at Everton along with everybody else. I would have to rationalise my interest in Palace before I could close anything.

“I am an Anglophile when it comes to football. When I see these legendary teams come along, some in the Premier League, some in the Championship, clubs that I grew up with, they have an appeal.

“They also have an appeal to our business model because if I follow these great teams, then so do athletes around the world.”

Textor’s Eagle Group also owns Lyon in France, Botafogo in Brazil and Molenbeek in Belgium and is seeking a club in Portugal.