Everton takeover bid: Club not commenting on reports of £225m Sporting Kansas City consortium looking to buy the club

MLS side's owner Rob Heineman is believed to be spearheading a US consortium looking into the purchase of the Premier League club

A view of Everton's Goodison Park (Getty Images)

Everton could be set for a £225m takeover approach from an American consortium led by the owner of MLS side Sporting Kansas City.

The club have so far refused to comment on the reports which have been triggered by the BBC claiming that a group of businessmen in Kansas City are looking into the possibility of purchasing the Premier League club.

However, Everton are not commenting on the matter and it’s believed that no official approach has been made, and the reports add that the US consortium – led by Sporting Club’s owner Rob Heineman – are at this stage only looking into the idea of purchasing a club that has been known to be open to investment for a number of years.

The increased speculation over a possible takeover bid arose when Heineman and Mike Illig, Sporting Kansas City’s representative, were pictured visiting Goodison Park as the latter uploaded a shot of the pair at Merseyside stadium to his Twitter account on Thursday.

Additional reports emerged in Kansas City on Thursday night linking the group with a takeover approach.

Everton fans have protested against current chairman Bill Kenwright this season over the failure to sell the club, but current chief executive Robert Elstone stressed that there are no “unreasonable” factors in the sale of the club.

It is worth stating again, and very clearly, there are no unreasonable conditions on the sale of Everton

&#13; <p>Robert Elstone, Everton chief executive</p>&#13;

He added on the final day of last season: “The search for the funds that will allow the club to leap forward continues without any slowing down or any less enthusiasm.

Everton owner Bill Kenwright (Getty Images)

"It is worth stating again, and very clearly, there are no unreasonable conditions on the sale of Everton.

"The only condition is one we think is perfectly reasonable - that the new owner has to want to, and must be able to, take the club forward."