American opportunity lies ahead for Everton and the Friedkin Group

How the Toffees can leverage their owners' portfolio to great effect

Everton’s soon-to-be new home on the banks of the River Mersey (GETTY IMAGES)

Happy New Year, although I think we’re probably past the allowed window to be able to say that.

The Bottom Line returns for 2025 to continue to look at the happenings away from the pitch, focusing on the financial side of the game and how it makes everything tick.

Kicking off a new year it seemed only right to focus our gaze on a football club who are truly approaching this year with renewed vigour and impetus, buoyed by a takeover and a change of manager and finally starting to move away from the financial struggles of recent years. Oh, and they are moving into a shiny new 52,888-seater stadium this year too.

That club is, of course, Everton. The Toffees have had it rough in recent years as money woes piled up under wantaway former owner Farhad Moshiri. After coming close to sealing a deal with the now collapsed 777 Partners, the week prior to Christmas delivered some welcome news, with US billionaire Dan Friedkin and his firm, The Friedkin Group (TFG) acquiring the club and already making moves to tackle the debt and tidy up the balance sheet to provide the foundations for a brighter financial future.

The in-tray for the new owners will have been pretty heavy in the opening weeks as the American group take the reins at a club that has been mired in chaos and financial uncertainty for the best part of four years. They have already had to make one managerial change, parting ways with Sean Dyche and bringing back David Moyes to the club.

There are a few golden opportunities that lie ahead.