Whilst the focus so far this summer has been on signings, with Tim Iroegbunam and Jack Harrison on their way to Everton, the Toffees have been forced to turn their attention towards solving their takeover dilemma yet again.
Everton takeover news
For the entirety of last season, it looked as though 777 Partners could still become the new majority owners of Everton, but they never got the Premier League approval they so desperately needed. In the end, it looks as though that was the correct call, however, with much of 777's portfolio facing financial troubles.
The Miami-based firm lost control of Brazilian club Vasco while Belgian outfit Standard Liege had issues with unpaid players, and everything is pointing towards a bullet dodged for Everton.
777's failure did at least open the door to new investors, however, and there were several parties waiting in line on that front. Crystal Palace's John Textor was reportedly looking to sell his share in the London club at one stage to put together an offer for Everton, whilst Andy Bell and Goerge Downing reportedly tabled an offer alongside MSP Sports Capital. Yet, none of those three options have taken a vital step towards a completed deal.
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Instead, according to Matt Slater and Patrick Boyland of The Athletic, the Friedkin Group has entered a period of exclusivity to buy Everton. The Texas-based AS Roma owners, who won the Europa Conference League in 2022, are led by CEO Dan Friedkin, who is currently worth a reported £4.9bn.
Everton's next step
According to The Athletic, Friedkin, like 777, must now await Premier League approval. For now, the prospective new owners have agreed to clear MSP's, Bell and Downing's £158m loan before turning their attention towards completing the new Bramley-Moor Dock stadium.
Meanwhile, the Friedkin Group will be completing checks of their own now that they're in a period of exclusivity with the Toffees in what they will hope to be a smooth process.
Of course, Everton have been here before – Farhad Moshiri has entered exclusivity only for a deal to fall through. But this time has to be different, the sale must reach completion this summer. Alongside that though, the Friedkin Group must pass the same Premier League owners' and directors' test that 777 failed, which will assess where their funding comes from and whether their three-year plan with Everton is viable.
So, it's not quite a simple route to completion. Completing the purchase of Everton will include several hurdles. 777 fell at the final hurdle, but Friedkin will hope to take the next step that the Miami-based firm failed to take, before their portfolio began to fall around them. With that said, it should be an interesting few weeks at Goodison Park as they edge closer and closer to a takeover at last.