Roma’s ownership landscape could be set for a significant change, with the Friedkin family examining the sale of a controlling stake in Everton less than two years after taking charge at Goodison Park. The move would allow the group to place greater focus on Roma, where Gian Piero Gasperini’s side are top of the Serie A table and where the Pietralata stadium project has received approval.
Everton confirmed that The Friedkin Group is reviewing new investment possibilities, including the potential sale of control. The club said the owners had first been required to restore stability after inheriting financial uncertainty and problems both on and off the pitch.
The group’s initial task included securing the club’s future and seeing through the construction of Everton’s new stadium. With those foundations now in place, the owners believe the time has come to consider what follows.
Quick facts
- The Friedkin Group bought Everton in 2024.
- The owners are considering a full or majority sale after initially seeking minority investment.
- In June 2024, Everton’s £158 million debt to MSP Sports Capital was cleared.
- Initial financial support was worth around £200 million.
- Everton are seventh in the Premier League.
- The Friedkins are also linked with a Houston-based NHL franchise valued at about $3.5 billion.
Everton said it would assess interest only from parties judged capable of protecting the club’s progress and taking it forward responsibly. Until any transaction is completed, the group says it will continue to back the team’s sporting ambitions and its role in the local community.
The possibility of a sale had been discussed since September, when the Texas-based owners were reported to be looking for outside capital. The original plan was to bring in strategic minority investors, but the discussion has since moved towards the possible disposal of the majority holding.
The Friedkins inherited an Everton side that had recently faced the threat of relegation and serious financial strain. In June 2024, they settled the £158 million owed to MSP Sports Capital, which had provided funding for much of the stadium development, while also supplying funds for immediate commitments in a package of roughly £200 million.
They also strengthened the playing squad with players including Jack Grealish, Tyler Dibling and Thierno Barry. Yet the summer market brought criticism from supporters and observers, with expectations of a more decisive step forward not met.
Everton sold players for £100 million during that window and recorded a profit of approximately £25 million. A proposed £40 million transfer of academy player Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest became a focal point of supporter anger, and the deal was halted shortly before his medical examination.
For Roma, an Everton sale would remove a potential issue surrounding the two clubs entering the same UEFA competition. It could also leave the Friedkin family with more room to increase its attention on the Giallorossi and on Cannes, which is expected to remain within the group’s sporting portfolio.
Gasperini has already made clear that he wants a closer relationship between the owners and the Roman club. Speaking recently, he said he hoped to bring the Friedkins nearer to Roma, not because his own working conditions were lacking, but because stronger involvement would benefit the ownership, the supporters and the wider club environment.
The potential reshaping of the group is not limited to football. The Friedkins are working on plans for an NHL team in Houston, an operation estimated at around $3.5 billion, while a possible involvement in Roman basketball through Luka Doncic’s BC Roma has also been mentioned.
For now, Roma’s season continues from a position of strength under Gasperini. The possible Everton exit would mark a retreat from one part of the Friedkin sporting network, but it may also signal a more concentrated commitment to the club in the capital at a decisive point in its league campaign and stadium plans.
