It’s all change on the blue half of Merseyside, with The Friedkin Group having now completed their takeover of Everton.
The deal for Liverpool’s neighbor has now been confirmed following official ratification from the Premier League, meaning the club is now owned by Roundhouse Capital Holdings Limited, an entity within The Friedkin Group.
It ends Farhad Moshiri’s ownership of the Goodison Park club, with Everton’s incoming executive chairman Marc Watts summing up the significance of the deal.
"Today marks a momentous and proud occasion for The Friedkin Group as we become custodians of this iconic football club,” Watts said in a statement. “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.”
Of course, as Liverpool’s closest rivals when it comes to proximity, Reds fans will no doubt be looking on at the developments across Stanley Park with interest. Although the two sides are currently competing at different ends of the Premier League table, Everton will hope this takeover brings them closer to their Anfield rivals.
Indeed, strengthening the first-team squad “through thoughtful and strategic investment” is top of the list of key priorities for the Toffees’ new owners. Obviously, it will take time for Everton to reach Liverpool’s levels, especially considering where they’ve been in recent years, but any immediate improvements could be significant for the Reds this season.
Everton moves into its new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock next season
Everton moves into its new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock next season (Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Both Merseyside derbies are yet to be played in the current campaign after the meeting at Goodison Park was postponed earlier this month, and both now look set to fall after the January transfer window. Depending on what sort of business the Toffees are able to do next month - and whether they have any changes in management planned - Liverpool could be facing a very different prospect to what they would have expected a couple of weeks ago.
And it’s not just the football side of things where Everton’s new owners could make a difference. Also included in their priorities is “maximising the potential of the new stadium through long-term commercial partnerships and events that benefit the city of Liverpool”.
Everton is set to move into its new stadium next season. It has already been named as a host for Euro 2028, with Anfield unable to meet the requirements set by UEFA, and the new build on Bramley-Moore Dock will become a direct competitor to Anfield for other events in the future.
Liverpool’s stadium has enjoyed a lot of success over the years hosting concerts, with Taylor Swift having performed for three nights as part of her record-breaking Eras tour earlier this year, while Dua Lipa is set to play Anfield next year.
Those gigs bring in a significant windfall for the club, but that could be cut if Everton start to host more events in the city. Liverpool will be keeping a close eye on how things develop for its neighbors under their new owners.