Anil Ambani

London: The “turbulent situation” at Newcastle United has forced Reliance Communications to shift focus to English Premier League side Everton, media reports said here on Sunday.

Newcastle United have been in turmoil ever since the ouster of coach Kevin Keegan, leading to fans being up in arms against maverick owner Mike Ashley. In an emotional 1,644 word statement issued by Ashley on Sunday, the Newcastle owner has said he is prepared to sell the club.

“I am putting the club up for sale. I hope the next owner is someone who can lavish the amount of money on the club that the fans want,” said Ashley.

But the entire saga has led Reliance Communications head Anil Ambani, who was keen to bid up to £230m for Newcastle United to target Everton.

According to a report in the Liverpool Daily Post, agents representing Ambani have been in contact with Everton owner Bill Kenwright, and are trying to arrange a meeting between the two parties.

Ambani’s son, Jai Anmol, is reported to have attended the Merseyside club’s pre-season friendly against PSV Eindhoven at Goodison Park, and had informal talks with Everton chief Bill Kenwright and club director Robert Earl.

Kenwright had revealed last week at an extraordinary general meeting at Goodison Park, called by angry shareholders, that he would happily sell the club to a suitable buyer.

“I’m a pauper when it comes to other chairmen, a total pauper. We’ll keep looking for a new owner,” he had said.

The Liverpool Daily Post report added, “At Everton’s recent extraordinary general meeting at Goodison Park, called by angry shareholders to demand a withdrawal from the plan to move to Kirkby, Mr Kenwright said he was looking for a billionaire to take over the club. ‘I cannot go on like this, we need a new owner and we will continue to try to find one,’ said Kenwright, who endured a barrage of criticism.”

The Liverpool Echo carried, “A Reliance Group spokesman said last night: ‘We are no longer interested in buying Newcastle because of the turbulent conditions which currently exist there and because we have been unable to have any satisfying talks with anyone from the club.’”

Though suggestions that the Indian businessman will be chairman Bill Kenwright’s guest of honour at Thursday’s Uefa Cup tie against Standard Liege are wide of the mark, Ambani is understood to have a definite interest in the Toffees.