Fans arrive at at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on December 7, 2023 ahead of the English Premier League football match between Everton and Newcastle United. (Photo by PETER POWELL / AFP) (Photo by PETER POWELL/AFP via Getty Images)
The Everton takeover saga has taken another significant step with the Friedkin Group entering a period of exclusivity to buy the club.
After terminating the deal with 777 Partners, Farhad Moshiri has received offers from a host of rich investors, but Dan Friedkin, has emerged as a top candidate.
The 59-year-old, US business tycoon is also the owner of Serie A club, AS Roma. If the deal progresses, the group will purchase Moshiri’s 94 per cent stake in the club.
BBC Sport journalist, Giulia Bould, has shared the latest update on the “exclusivity”. She wrote on X (20 June) that while the deal is “close” it is not accepted yet, and everyone is waiting for the official confirmation from the club.
“Ok, so tonight I’m being told the Friedkin Group exclusivity is close but not yet fully done. Still waiting for an announcement to say so from Everton,” wrote Bould.
Dan Friedkin close to reaching Everton exclusivity agreement
According to Forbes (h/t The Athletic), Friedkin’s net worth is around $6.2 billion (£4.9bn). The group acquired AS Roma in 2020 for around £553m at the current exchange rate, and the Italian club have seen a dramatic improvement under them.
Roma won the Europa Conference League in 2022 and lost in the Europa League final a year later.
According to a report from the Financial Times, Friedkin has already agreed an “exclusivity agreement” with Moshiri. To get full ownership of the Toffees, they will need to pass the Premier League’s ownership test, which shouldn’t be a big problem in this case.
The Premier League was hesitant to give the green signal to 777 Partners, and their decision has been vindicated. The 777 group failed to come up with funds and other necessary documents to satisfy Moshiri and the Premier League, although they did invest money into the Everton football club.
Friedkin appears to have a transparent business and is a wealthy benefactor. Everton fans will expect him to remove the debts and invest wisely in the squad to sign quality players.
