Everton Football Club is reportedly exploring a potential sale less than two years after the Friedkin Group stepped in to save the Premier League club from what everyone thought were dire financial straits. The club announced Friday that it has officially brought in Moelis & Co. to explore “new investment options,” which includes the very real possibility of selling a controlling interest. Talk about a swift turnaround, but not in the way fans usually hope for!
Friedkin’s Quick Flip: Stabilizing, Then Selling?
When Friedkin Group initially acquired Everton in December 2024, the situation was bleak. The club was facing “significant financial uncertainty and challenges both on and off the pitch.” Friedkin’s stated immediate priority was to provide “stability, investment and support needed to secure the Club’s future,” and crucially, to help finally get that “long-promised stadium to completion.” The club has since released statements touting its new stadium in Liverpool and claiming its financial situation has stabilized. In its most recent financial disclosure in March, Everton even boasted “substantial financial progress,” including a “record” turnover of 196.7 million pounds, which is up 9.8 million pounds from the year before.
So, what gives? A source close to the situation indicates that Friedkin isn’t necessarily looking to ditch the club entirely, even if a controlling stake is sold. The Friedkin Group, which acquired roughly 98.8% of Everton in 2024, could still hold a significant portion of the club. The same source explained that Friedkin feels it has done its job stabilizing the team and ensuring the new stadium had the cash to get finished. Now, they’re at a crossroads: either pump in more capital to push Everton to its next phase of development, or bring in a new investor and potentially cash in on a club that could command a much higher valuation than it did just two years ago. This “is a very different process from when Friedkin bought the team,” the source noted, reminding everyone that “Everton was in a very difficult place” back then.
John Textor’s Blistering Reaction and the Larger Stakes
This news blindsided a lot of people, none more vocally than John Textor, a major figure in the global soccer scene with ownership stakes in clubs like London’s Crystal Palace, France’s Olympique Lyonnais, and Brazil’s Botafogo. Textor, who actually came close to buying Everton himself in 2024, did not hold back when asked about Friday’s announcement. His immediate reaction? “Are you fucking kidding me?” He followed that up with a blunt assessment: “There’s something very wrong with this story.”
Textor’s surprise makes sense. He pointed out that Dan Friedkin, who is the chairman and CEO of Friedkin Group, is known as a “guy that likes owning football clubs.” Friedkin’s net worth, according to Forbes, is around $12.6 billion, making him the 262nd-richest person in the world. He also owns AS Roma and AS Cannes. Textor’s own soccer empire is currently facing headwinds, with his holding company, Eagle Football Holdings, recently placed under the control of a U.K. restructuring administrator. This history and his previous bid make his shock at Friedkin’s potential exit all the more telling. Adding another layer of intrigue, this sale exploration comes not long after Everton added minority investors in April 2025, including Christopher Sarofim, a part-owner of the NFL’s Houston Texans, and NBA Hall of Famer Jason Kidd.
Everton is in the middle of its 2026-27 regular season, which kicked off back in August. To drop news like this right in the thick of the campaign? You have to wonder what’s going on behind the scenes and what this means for the team on the pitch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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