Everton’s owners, The Friedkin Group, have confirmed that they are exploring new investment options including the potential sale of a controlling interest in the club, less than two years after taking over. The US-based group said its priority remained supporting Everton on and off the pitch while it considered the club’s next chapter, but it did not set a timetable for any deal.
The announcement means a full takeover is possible rather than confirmed. TFG said it was examining fresh investment and could relinquish control if a suitable buyer emerged. It said it would entertain interest only from parties it believed would be the right stewards to take Everton forward and build on the momentum already established.
What The Friedkin Group has confirmed
TFG said it had inherited a club facing substantial financial uncertainty and challenges on and off the field. Its statement said the immediate task had been to provide stability, investment and support, while helping to complete Everton’s long-awaited new stadium.
The group said it now considered that foundation to be in place and that it was appropriate to examine what comes next. It stressed that its support for the club would continue during the process, including efforts to help Everton pursue success on the pitch and make an impact in local communities.
TFG did not state a timetable in its announcement. The Guardian reported that no timescale had been set, that Moelis & Company would handle any sale, and that an asking price of about £800m including debt had been discussed. The newspaper also reported that TFG was confident it could attract a buyer quickly, potentially completing a transaction during the season. That remains a reported expectation rather than a commitment from the owners.
Why the announcement has come now
TFG completed its takeover in 2024, succeeding Farhad Moshiri after Everton had experienced a financial crisis. The Guardian reported that the group spent about £400m to acquire the club and take on its considerable debt. It also reported that the group secured financing for Hill Dickinson Stadium on more favourable terms, while BBC Sport said Everton had moved onto a more stable financial footing.
The ownership’s relatively short tenure has nevertheless been subject to scrutiny, particularly after the summer transfer window. BBC Sport reported that supporters reacted angrily when Everton accepted a £40m offer from Nottingham Forest for England Under-19 midfielder Harrison Armstrong before subsequently withdrawing from the proposed sale. The club then sold Beto to Fiorentina, leaving manager David Moyes with Thierno Barry as its only recognisable striker, according to the BBC.
The Guardian also reported that Iliman Ndiaye was sold to Manchester City for £65m after the Armstrong deal was halted. Those developments prompted questions over TFG’s appetite to fund Everton’s ambitions. In September, Moyes said he had not met or spoken to Dan Friedkin since returning as manager in January 2025, a detail that added to supporters’ concerns about the owner’s distance from the day-to-day running of the club.
TFG is led by Dan Friedkin, while BBC Sport reported that his son-in-law Rishi Majithia works with Everton chief executive Angus Kinnear on the club’s daily operation. The group also owns Roma. The Guardian reported that the financial demands of its wider sporting interests, alongside restrictions around multi-club ownership, were understood to be factors in its decision to assess Everton’s future.
What it could change for Everton
The immediate sporting position is unchanged: TFG remains Everton’s owner and has said it will continue to fund and support the club while options are explored. But a sale process introduces uncertainty around how quickly Everton can make longer-term football decisions, particularly if prospective investors wish to assess the club before committing funds.
That could matter ahead of the January transfer window. The Guardian reported that Everton had plans to address weaknesses in Moyes’s squad, but said those plans could be affected by a potential takeover. The club’s shortage of senior outfield players after the summer window and its need for attacking reinforcement therefore provide a practical test of TFG’s assurance that on-pitch support will not change during the process.
There is also a clear financial contrast in the figures reported around the ownership. The Guardian said TFG’s acquisition and assumed debt totalled about £400m, while a reported asking price of about £800m, including approximately £380m of long-term debt, had been discussed. Those are not confirmed sale terms, but they illustrate why the completed stadium and improved financial stability may make Everton a more attractive asset than at the point of TFG’s takeover.
For now, supporters have a confirmed intention to explore options rather than certainty over new ownership. The crucial unanswered questions are who may invest, whether TFG sells a minority or controlling stake, and whether any transaction affects Everton’s recruitment and managerial plans before the season is over.