The takeover of the club is understood to be in its final stages with the potential for formal sign-off by the Premier League this week
Goodison Park, the home of Everton FC
Goodison Park, the home of Everton FC(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Everton stand on the cusp of an historic moment with the takeover of the club expected to be signed off this week.
The Friedkin Group has undergone rigorous scrutiny since formally agreeing a deal with current majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri in September.
That process is not thought to have encountered any serious issues and there is belief among those involved it will be concluded in the coming days.
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The final official act of the Premier League’s role in this will be formal ratification by the Independent Oversight Panel, a committee tasked with reviewing the league’s decision and considering whether it “was reasonable in all of the circumstances, based on the material available at the relevant time”.
The Friedkin Group, which already owns Italian side Roma, is not expected to face any challenges in these final stages and, once approved, Everton’s new directors will have 14 days to attend an induction meeting with the Premier League - though that timeline may be impacted in this case by the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Completion of the deal would mark the end of Moshiri’s turbulent eight years at Everton, a period characterised by initial high-spending and lurches between managers and directors of football before the club descended into crises on and off the pitch.
Following three consecutive relegation fights, two unprecedented points deductions for failures to comply with Premier League financial regulations, and with the club still facing the potential for a relegation battle this season, the arrival of fresh ideas and inspiration will give hope that Everton will finally move towards a period of stability, from which the club is able to take advantage of its huge potential.
The takeover will coincide roughly with the brightest sign of that - the state-of-the-art new stadium on the Liverpool waterfront that Moshiri will seek to claim as his legacy. The construction phase of Everton Stadium is due to be completed before the end of this year, raising the tantalising prospect of Everton having new owners and the keys to its new stadium for the start of 2025.