September 4 – The Friedkin Group (TFG) is looking to bring fresh investment to Everton less than two years after completing its takeover of the club.
According to the Financial Times, advisers have been hired to canvass potential investors, with the process likely to focus on selling a significant minority stake.
That said, there is no suggestion that Dan Friedkin is preparing to sell Everton or cede control, and the process is still at an early stage. There is a reality where this does not lead to an agreement.
Everton are certainly in a much healthier position than when TFG arrived in December 2024. The takeover cost Friedkin around £331m once debt repayments and associated costs were included. Since then, TFG has refinanced some of the club’s debt, secured long-term funding around the Hill Dickinson Stadium and overseen the move to Everton’s new home, who have no problem selling it.
The latest accounts also showed a clear improvement: revenue rose from £186.9m to £196.7m, while the club’s annual losses fell sharply from £53.2m to £8.6m.
That makes Everton a much easier proposition to sell to outside investors than the distressed asset Friedkin bought less than two years ago.
It also comes at a time when the cost of competing in the Premier League is at a record high. Their clubs spent a record €4.1 billion during the summer window, with Everton contributing around €103 million while bringing in around €129 million through player sales.
Friedkin has already shown he’s open to sharing the load. Christopher Sarofim and Jason Kidd took stakes in Roundhouse Capital, the vehicle that owns 99.5% of Everton, through 2025. The current search looks more like an extension of that approach than any sign that TFG wants out.
There is also the Rome angle. Friedkin also owns the Serie A club, creating a potential UEFA multi-club ownership issue if both sides qualify for the same European competition, although that would require a marked improvement from Everton next season.
There is no evidence that the UEFA clash is prompting the latest search for investors, but bringing more shareholders to Everton would further separate the capital structures of the two clubs.
Friedkin bought Everton at a difficult time, cleaned up much of the financial mess and moved the club to a new stadium. That said, he now faces a backlash from fans over a thoroughly underwhelming transfer window that has left the club bare for next season, with just 18 senior players on the books.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)