Everton fans can finally celebrate as the takeover of the club by the Friedkin Group has been completed and focus can now shift to the future under the new owners.
Work will begin straight away and president of The Friedkin Group, Marc Watts, is set to lead the Everton board alongside Friedkin Group representatives.
There are many choices that need to be taken and the major one will be how to approach the January transfer window as it approaches fast.. There are plans to strengthen and the club are keen to find themselves a new frontman to help provide the goals.
They are scouting extensively to find the best talents and some funds will be available to spend on bringing in additions next month.
There will not be tons to spend but the acquisition by the Friedkins gives the club the foundations to build with confidence.
The American consortium have big plans and want to take the Toffees back into the top half of the league and see them compete for European places.
This of course raises questions over the future of current manager Sean Dyche who has struggled to get a run of wins and is working to keep the club in the division. Sources describe the new owners as driven and ruthless when seeking their goals.
Roma fans are aware of this – they have seen the likes of Jose Mourinho ousted form his job there despite winning the club European honours.
Sources don’t hold much confidence that Dyche is part of the long-term vision but it’s not expected he will be sacked immediately.
There is an understanding that the squad needs strengthening and with the club in a battle for survival, Dyche may be the best man to keep Everton in the league at this stage.
There is no doubt, however, that the new owners will make a statement in the future and watch out for a big-name manager stepping into the job at the club’s new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium next season.
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Everton statement
Farhad Moshiri, the outgoing majority shareholder, stated: “I truly believe that the transaction with The Friedkin Group is the best outcome for the Club and its future success.
“There has been a huge team effort in getting to this stage and I would like to personally thank my Board colleagues John Spellman and Colin Chong and all the senior management team including Katie, James, Richard and of course Kevin and Sean for their huge commitment to the Club.
“Despite a challenging geopolitical backdrop, a significant amount has been achieved over the last couple of years including the delivery of a new sporting department, the stabilisation of our finances and the delivery of our iconic new stadium. I now hand over to new owners confident in the outlook for the Club and that our incredible fans will see the success on the pitch that they so thoroughly deserve.”
Incoming executive Marc Watts added: “Today marks a momentous and proud occasion for The Friedkin Group as we become custodians of this iconic football club.
“We are committed to leading Everton into an exciting new era both on and off the pitch. Providing immediate financial stability to the Club has been a key priority, and we are delighted to have achieved this. While restoring Everton to its rightful place in the Premier League table will take time, today is the first step in that journey.”
Everton round-up: Big work planned
TEAMtalk has also learned that the new owners are considering Dan Ashworth as a director, after he left his post at Manchester United after just a few months.
Fabio Paratici is also a potential candidate for a director role with the Toffees.
Meanwhile, Manchester City have reportedly joined the race for Everton centre-back Jarrad Brantwhaite.
And in terms of potential inbounds, TEAMtalk can confirm the Toffees have an eye on Rangers striker Hamza Igamane, but he’ll be a hard man to prise away from the Glasgow outfit.
👉 Ask me anything! Submit your questions about the upcoming transfer windowHEREforTEAMtalk’s Fraser Fletcher to answer on Friday afternoon 👈