The Friedkin Group has stepped back in as a prospective majority stakeholder in Premier League football club Everton, subject to regulatory approval.
Everton has confirmed that the US-based consortium, a family enterprise headed up by CEO Dan Friedkin, has agreed terms to purchase the majority from Blue Heaven Holdings, the holding company of the club’s current majority owner, British-Iranian businessman Farhad Moshiri.
This transaction is subject to approval from the Football Association (FA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Britain’s financial regulator. Once completed it will end a long-running search for a new owner at the Liverpool club.
A spokesperson for The Friedkin Group said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement to become custodians of this iconic football club. We are focused on securing the necessary approvals to complete the transaction.
“We look forward to providing stability to the club, and sharing our vision for its future, including the completion of the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.”
The Friedkin Group has been interested in Everton for much of this year. The firm entered a preliminary agreement during the summer, but later withdrew. A prior takeover attempt by 777 Partners, a US investment firm with stakes in multiple European football clubs, also fell through In May.
Another potential bidder then came in the form of John Textor, also a prominent American businessman involved in sports. Textor is the Executive Chairman of FuboTV, a sports streaming platform which holds the Canadian media rights to the Premier League.
However, he is also a 45% stakeholder in English top-flight club Crystal Palace, which would have interfered with any designs he may have had on the South London team’s Merseyside counterparts.
With Friedkin Group having renewed its interest in Everton and a deal apparently reached, the club and its fans will likely be relieved to see the long-running takeover saga slip into memory.
New ownership of Everton comes at a major moment in the club’s history. The team has been struggling on the pitch in recent seasons, and as referenced by the Friedkin Group spokesperson is in the midst of building a 52,000 capacity stadium in the Liverpool docklands area – this stadium is set to be one of the host venues of the 2028 UEFA Euros.
