Alisher Usmanov remains a 'huge supporter' of both Farhad Moshiri and Everton but the billionaire is not expected to join the club anytime soon.
The latest boardroom reshuffle at Goodison, which will see Sasha Ryazantsev leave the Blues at the end of the month, is not designed to create room for Usmanov nor is it an indicator of change coming at the very top.
Ryazantsev's responsibilities as Chief Finance and Commercial Officer will instead be divided between Finance Director Grant Ingles and Sarvar Ismailov, Everton Women's sporting and commercial director, both of whom joined the board in mid-July.
Sources close to Usmanov, one of the UK's richest men and a long-time business associate of Moshiri, maintain that his direct involvement is limited to USM Holdings being one of the club's biggest sponsors.
It was stressed Usmanov is a minority shareholder in USM, too - the company he founded in 2012.
But sources also confirmed the 67-year-old tycoon considers himself a 'huge supporter' of both Moshiri and the club, and further sponsorship deals have not been ruled out.
Usmanov is also a well-documented sounding board and friend to Moshiri and offered advice to the club's majority shareholder when looking to replace Carlo Ancelotti, who quit the club in June.
Indeed, it is believed Usmanov spoke to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich about Rafa Benitez - who he appointed as Chelsea boss in 2012 - before the Spaniard was appointed at Everton, and passed on the feedback to Moshiri.
Everton were forced to deny claims Usmanov had brokered the deal which brought Ancelotti to Goodison in late 2019, with the Italian manager confirming they had met, but only in a social setting.
Ancelotti, it is understood, remained in semi-regular contact with the man who is said to be worth around £13.4bn, during his Everton tenure.
And, in the aftermath of Everton's 3-1 win over Chelsea, at Goodison, in Duncan Ferguson's first game as caretaker manager, Moshiri celebrated the victory by sharing a FaceTime call with Usmanov.
Former Everton boss Marco Silva also spent time with Moshiri and Usmanov on the former's yacht - named Dilbar - off the coast of Sardinia, the same place Benitez is believed to have held discussions about becoming Blues manager in the summer.
But it has been stressed that Usmanov, currently, has no desire to join Moshiri as a shareholder at Everton and believes he can support the club through sponsorship deals.
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USM have sponsored the club's Finch Farm training ground since 2017 while last year they signed a £30m naming rights option on the club's new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
USM have already agreed to length and value of the deal on the 52,888 stadium, should they choose to exercise that option, which is expected.
MegaFon, a company under its umbrella, became the squad's training wear sleeve sponsor and matchday presenting partner in 2019.
And, in October last year, they also became the new front of shirt sponsor for Everton Women as Yota, part of the MegaFon group, signed up to be the team's sleeve sponsor.
Yet, that appears - at this stage - to be the extent of Usmanov's appetite for involvement with the Blues and Everton have said that the promotion of Ismailov, his nephew, to the club's board does not change that.
The statement confirming Ismailov's position in the boardroom included that he joined Ryazantsev as the "owner's representative" in the Goodison boardroom.
Ryazantsev's departure at the end of the month, after over five years with the club, will leave Ismailov as the sole representative of Moshiri.
It is believed Ismailov will assume some of commercial responsibilities Ryazantsev held, while Ingles - 'very able' according to one source - will cover the financial aspect of the role, with Alan McTavish - club commercial director - reporting into both.
Ryazantsev is now weighing up his next move but a transfer into other areas of Moshiri's business empire is expected.
And so the likelihood is the plan remains for Usmanov to continue offering 'support' to Moshiri and Everton, in the form of sponsorship for the club and advice for his friend, and not take it beyond that.
Moshiri, who owns over 92% of shares at the club, is a wealthy individual in his own right and will continue to support the manager when and where possible, within the limits of Financial Fair Play and the Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations.
Usmanov told the Financial Times last year he would join Moshiri at Everton with "great pleasure" but it was understood there were no plans for that to take place.
And, it is believed, that remains the case.
