The Financial Times today carries a report that The Firedkin Group are working on a proposal to attract additional investors by selling a stake in Everton, following their purchase of the club from Farhad Moshiri for a knock-down price that they say was £330M back in 2024.
The FT says:
Rising valuations in sport and the cost of competing in the Premier League mean it is increasingly common for teams to be owned by consortiums rather than a single investor.
In April last year, Friedkin and his family sold equity in Roundhouse Capital Holdings, the entity that controls Everton, to Christopher Sarofim, who chairs investment manager Fayez Sarofim & Co.
The FT article provides a potted history of Everton Football Club and ties the need for investment with the challenges clubs face in the transfer market:
This summer, Premier League clubs spent a record €4.1B on players, according to data website Transfermarkt, recouping €2.5B in sales.
However, Everton spent just shy of €103M on players, less than the €129M it raised through player sales. There has been a backlash from the club’s fans over the window where top players left and an attempted £40M deal for US World Cup star Folarin Balogun fell through at the eleventh hour.