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Friedkin Group signals exit six months post-acquisition, positioning Everton sale ahead of stadium opening and broadcast cycle.
£400 million
takeover that ended Farhad Moshiri's troubled eight-year tenure
£200 million
in stadium construction debt and
£158 million
in shareholder loans to Moshiri
€700 million
since 2020
The Friedkin Group told prospective buyers it would entertain offers for Everton Football Club, six months after completing a £400 million takeover that ended Farhad Moshiri's troubled eight-year tenure. The Athletic reported Thursday that TFG principals have signaled openness to a full sale rather than minority investment, a reversal from the December messaging that positioned the acquisition as long-term infrastructure play.
Dan and Ryan Friedkin acquired Everton in December 2024 after a protracted exclusivity period that began in June. The deal included assumption of £200 million in stadium construction debt and £158 million in shareholder loans to Moshiri. TFG already owns AS Roma, where it has invested €700 million since 2020, and the group's portfolio includes Gulf States Toyota Distributors, estimated annual revenue $9 billion. The Everton purchase gave TFG a second European club ahead of potential multi-club ownership regulation changes.
The timing matters for three reasons. First, Everton's £500 million Bramley-Moore Dock stadium opens August 2025, the first new ground in English football's top flight since Tottenham's 2019 move. That facility unlocks £20-30 million in annual matchday revenue versus Goodison Park and positions the club for naming rights north of £10 million per season. Second, the Premier League's domestic broadcast tender begins formal negotiations in early 2025 for the 2026-2029 cycle, with analysts projecting a 15-20 percent increase on the current £5 billion deal. Third, Everton avoids relegation odds for the first time in three seasons—survival alone is worth £120 million in parachute payment delta.
TFG's willingness to sell suggests the stadium completion was the value inflection point, not the operating turnaround. The club posted £89 million in losses for the 2022-23 season and has been subject to two separate Premier League points deductions for financial breaches, totaling eight points across 2023-24. While TFG installed Marc Watts as CEO and brought in Kevin Thelwell as director of football, the commercial operation remains thin—Everton's kit deal with Castore pays £6 million annually versus Leicester's £10 million from Adidas. John Textor, who owns Lyon and holds stakes in Crystal Palace and Botafogo, publicly pursued Everton before TFG closed the deal; his Eagle Football group has since raised $300 million in new capital.
The most credible buyers sit in three categories. American family offices sizing a second club after watching valuations double since 2020. Gulf sovereign wealth vehicles that missed Chelsea and Manchester United windows. Multi-club operators like Textor or City Football Group, which has explored adding a Premier League asset outside Manchester. None of those groups wants a fixer-upper—they want a stadium, a broadcast windfall, and clean compliance. TFG delivers exactly that if it exits before July.
What to watch: TFG's equity process typically runs through Raine Group or Jefferies; early soundings should surface by March. Everton's next financial filings, due April 30, will show whether TFG injected working capital beyond the acquisition financing. The naming rights tender for Bramley-Moore Dock closes in May, and any deal above £12 million per year would significantly re-rate the asset. Sean Dyche's contract runs through June 2026; managerial stability matters less in a sale process than points on the board, and Everton sits 10 points clear of the relegation zone with 12 matches remaining.
TFG bought the stadium build, not the relegation battle. If it sells before the first match at Bramley-Moore, it clears £100-150 million on a six-month hold.
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