BILL KENWRIGHT believes Everton FC could have been taken over by the Abu Dhabi group who purchased Manchester City if plans for a new stadium had been in place.

City have developed into Premier League title contenders, won the FA Cup and made their Champions League debut since being backed by the wealth of Sheikh Mansour.

He became Manchester club’s owner in 2008 and remains top of FourFourTwo’s Football Rich List for the 2011-12 season.

Over the last few years a string of expensive signings have arrived to play at City’s recently-renamed Etihad Stadium, their home since 2003.

Kenwright has often stated his desire to bring in new investors, and in a BBC interview with former Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow - who was with the Reds during their takeover by Fenway Sports Group last term - the 66-year-old has suggested Mansour’s money may have headed Everton’s way if they had an approved stadium project.

"I know for a fact that you met a lot of individuals who said they had the money to buy Liverpool Football Club, and I think I have met 10 times as many people as you met," Kenwright told Purslow.

"I have to say, some of them were good and I thought we had a big chance.

"The main thing that has happened in the last three years is the recession, and football is a trophy asset more than anything.

"You do not buy a football club to make money, believe me - I’m living proof of that.

"All I can tell you is that there are various scenarios. It is a two-football-club city, it is not the capital and there is not huge, huge money in the world.

"Of course, you can throw Manchester City at me. But Manchester City had the stadium situation and there was a lot of what I believe was lucky manoeuvring going on there - not underhand at all, but lucky manoeuvring."