Everton Put Up for Sale Again as The Friedkin Group Look for Exit

Everton are heading into a new spell of instability after The Friedkin Group announced on Friday that they are open to selling the club outright. The decision comes little more than a year after the American company paid over £400m for a 99.5% stake and leaves David Moyes' side facing another change of direction, with an expected asking price between £750m and £800m.

• The Friedkin Group paid more than £400m for Everton in December 2024.
• Chairman Dan Friedkin has not attended a single match and has never spoken to David Moyes since his return.
• The attempt to sell academy product Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest sparked fan protests.
• The club carries debts of around £468m and is being marketed for £750m to £800m.
• David Moyes found out about the potential sale at the same time as the public.

Why The Friedkin Group Want to Sell Everton

The 170-word statement in which TFG announced their intention to test the market reflects the coldness of their time on Merseyside. The Houston-based group, which also owns Roma, arrived in December 2024 promising to end the financial and sporting crisis left by Farhad Moshiri. Instead, the project has stalled: resources and attention have been focused on the Italian club while Everton have been run from a distance.

Chairman Dan Friedkin has not watched a single Everton match since the takeover and, according to David Moyes himself, has never spoken to the manager since he took the job in January 2025. That disconnect turned early tolerance into open hostility during a summer marked by baffling football decisions.

The Failed Harrison Armstrong Sale and the Summer That Changed Everything

The breaking point came with the attempt to sell Harrison Armstrong, one of the finest academy products of recent years, to Nottingham Forest in a £40m deal. The move had been agreed by TFG until news leaked and supporters threatened "a riot" during the match at Bournemouth later that day. The owners were forced into damage control and blocked the transfer of the 19-year-old midfielder, but the episode read as little more than a face-saving exercise.

The window did not improve. Everton sold Iliman Ndiaye to Manchester City for £65m and allowed Beto to leave for Fiorentina, while a move for Monaco forward Folarin Balogun collapsed with no time to find alternatives. Moyes was left with just 18 senior outfield players and no reliable striker, a situation that exhausted whatever credit the owners still had.

I suspect they were shocked by having to pay Burnley more than £35m for a breach of financial rules.

What Is at Stake for Everton in This New Sale

The club currently carries debts of around £468m, a figure any buyer will take on alongside the purchase price. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire expects TFG to seek a complete sale at between £750m and £800m, a range supported by the club's appeal in a market where opportunities are scarce.

There are only 20 Premier League clubs, and Everton offer history, a passionate fanbase that fills a stadium of more than 50,000 and finances in far better shape than under Moshiri. Maguire believes the due diligence carried out by the Friedkins means there are no hidden surprises left: the issues have been identified and addressed, leaving the new owners to clear the Premier League's owners and directors test.

Why Everton Are an Attractive Asset for Investors

The move to the new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock removes the need to spend on infrastructure, a cost that inflates the price of other clubs. Add to that Everton's status as Premier League regulars and a loyal support base, and the club becomes an opportunity ready to accelerate on the sporting side, especially for American investors looking for affordable options in European football.

Maguire points to a buoyant market and the scarcity of available elite clubs as factors working in Everton's favour. While a sports franchise in the United States can cost $5bn or more, a Premier League club with a new stadium and cleaned-up finances is a considerably cheaper alternative with global reach.

The Distant Relationship Between Dan Friedkin and David Moyes

The gap between ownership and the dugout was exposed once again when Moyes admitted he learned about the potential sale at the same time as the wider public. The manager, who returned with the ambition of getting Everton back into European competition, expressed his disappointment at putting supporters through another period of doubt about who owns their club.

I'm disappointed that Evertonians have to go through another period of 'who are our owners?'

That disconnect contrasts with TFG's engagement at Roma, a club competing in the Champions League and one with a far greater chance of doing so regularly. For Maguire, the reality is straightforward: Everton and Roma simply do not hold the same place in the group's strategy.

What a Buyer Needs to Take Over Everton

The sale process does not end with an agreed price. Any candidate will need to pass the Premier League's owners and directors test, which examines personal suitability as well as the ability to prove where the money comes from, not just to buy the club but to run it. It is a barrier that filters out speculative investors chasing a quick return.

Moyes, for his part, has no problem selling the club's virtues. He has said he is looking forward to getting the right people in to take Everton further and that if anyone wants to speak to him, he will be the first to say the club is worth buying. His backing is another asset in a deal that will shape the club's immediate future.