Friedkin Group’s Everton Takeover: Why Patience Is Key to Long-Term Success

Everton fans will head into the 2025/26 season harbouring hopes that the club can force their way into contention for European qualification.

After guiding the Toffees away from trouble during the second half of last season, manager David Moyes set that ambitious target for the upcoming campaign.

The Friedkin Group’s takeover of the club last December triggered excitement amongst the fanbase that better times are ahead.

An assessment of the club’s results under former owner Farhad Moshiri paint a damning picture of a man who promised much, but delivered little.

	LEAGUE	P	W	D	L	PTS	GD	POS	FAC	LC	EUR
2016/17	Prem	38	17	10	11	61	+18	7TH	R3	R3	DNQ
2017/18	Prem	38	13	10	15	49	-14	8TH	R3	R4	DNQ
2018/19	Prem	38	15	9	14	54	+8	8TH	R4	R3	DNQ
2019/20	Prem	38	13	10	15	49	-12	12TH	R3	QF	DNQ
2020/21	Prem	38	17	8	13	59	-1	10TH	QF	QF	DNQ
2021/22	Prem	38	11	6	21	39	-23	16TH	QF	R3	DNQ
2022/23	Prem	38	8	12	18	36	-23	17TH	R3	R3	DNQ
2023/24	Prem	38	13	9	16	40	-11	15TH	R4	QF	DNQ
2024/25	Prem	38	11	15	12	48	-2	13TH	R4	R3	DNQ

The upturn in fortunes following the takeover in December are undoubtedly cause for optimism as the club prepares for the upcoming campaign.

However, without wishing to undermine Moyes’ ambitions, it is perhaps prudent to look at a club which bears plenty of similarities to Everton.

Aston Villa were also founder members of the English Football League. They have won just one more trophy than Everton during their history and have a similar sized fanbase.

They were also struggling to live up to expectations before businessmen Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens took over the club in July 2018.

Here is how the club has performed under their stewardship.

	LEAGUE	P	W	D	L	PTS	GD	POS	FAC	LC	EUR
2018/19	Champ	46	20	16	10	76	+19	5TH(P)	R3	R2	DNQ
2019/20	Prem	38	9	8	21	35	-26	17TH	R3	RU	DNQ
2020/21	Prem	38	16	7	15	55	+9	11TH	R3	R4	DNQ
2021/22	Prem	38	13	6	19	45	-2	14TH	R3	R3	DNQ
2022/23	Prem	38	18	7	13	61	+5	7TH	R3	R3	DNQ
2023/24	Prem	38	20	8	10	68	+5	4TH	R4	R3	UECL SF
2024/25	Prem	38	19	9	10	66	+7	6TH	SF	R4	UCL QF

Patience may be a virtue at Everton

While Villa’s starting point in the Championship is different from the position The Freidkin Group inherited at Everton, comparisons can still be drawn.

The Toffees were well on their way to the second tier before the takeover, highlighting how far things had been allowed to slide under Moshiri.

Although Villa are now established in the upper echelons of the Premier League, it took them a few years to reach that point.

While Everton have a head start in that they have a squad accustomed to the English top flight, it unquestionably needs significant improvement.

Based on their transfer business up to the end of July 2025, that could be easier said than done as the club battles to acquire its primary targets.

Striker Thierno Barry is the standout acquisition this summer, but Everton need much more if they are to achieve Moyes’ lofty targets.

This is why Villa’s progression over the past few years is worth considering. Shrewd signings were the order of the day when they climbed back into the top flight.

The first three years in the Premier League were about building foundations for the club to evolve into regular contenders for European qualification.

Although Everton are beginning their journey from a more advanced base, they are also contending with a Premier League that is significantly stronger than it was six years ago.

More than half the clubs now harbour realistic ambitions of qualifying for European competitions, highlighting the depth of quality in the division.

While Moyes should be applauded for setting lofty targets, Everton fans may need to be patient before those aims come to fruition.

Stronger foundations will deliver the desired results

Every football fan wants their team to be successful. However, history has shown that this is rarely achieved unless solid and sustainable foundations are in place.

Dan Friedkin’s recent formation of a new group, Pursuit Sports, to manage his network clubs is a move which could be a game-changer for Everton.

Former Clearlake Capital and Fenway Sports Group executive Dave Beeston has been appointed as Pursuit’s chief executive officer. He has the expertise to guide Everton to the top.

“The intention has been to form a parent company that would do two things – provide operational excellence, amplify our operations for the clubs we own now and evaluate opportunities to grow,” Beeston said.

“When I wake up, I am thinking about how I am helping Roma, Everton and Cannes get to where they want to get to, and at the same time thinking about growing the company through acquisition.”

Beeston is best known for his time with FSG, where he oversaw the company’s mergers and acquisitions efforts, including the purchase of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He joined Chelsea owner and private equity giant Clearlake Capital in August 2024, but Beeston missed operations work and disliked the commute to Los Angeles.

Beeston has stressed that Pursuit Sports will not create a ‘multi-club hierarchy’ where lower clubs feed players up to higher-ranked clubs.

However, as evidenced by Manchester City and Chelsea, having clubs operate under the same umbrella provides benefits to everyone involved.

The link-up between Chelsea and Strasbourg is a great example of this in action. The club’s owners bought a majority stake in the Ligue 1 club in 2023 and the move has quickly paid dividends.

The Premier League outfit have used Strasbourg as a vehicle for young players to gain invaluable experience of playing at a high level.

The French outfit have clearly benefited from the relationship, finishing seventh last season to qualify for the Europa Conference League play-off round.

Establishing the relationship has allowed Chelsea to acquire numerous promising talents they may otherwise have overlooked in the transfer market.

They could develop into first-team players in the future, or be sold on for a profit if they do not quite make the grade. Either way, it is a win-win situation for the club.

Everton fans must trust the process

The steady improvements made by Villa and Chelsea under their new owners are useful templates for Everton to follow over the next couple of years.

Having flirted with relegation for several seasons, it would be unwise to think that the club can suddenly start to challenge for the Premier League title.

Having lost a handful of players from the first-team squad, the club desperately needs to step up its game during the final few weeks of the summer transfer window.

The 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth in the Premier League Summer Series last weekend underlined the size of the challenge facing the Toffees.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Moyes sounded a more cautionary note about the current state of play at the club.

“We’re a long way away just now,” Moyes said. “I would have hoped it would have been much further down the line than we are.

“I would hope by the time we get to the end of the window we’d be closer to ten new players. So, you can imagine the amount of work we’ve got to do.

“The club are trying really hard to get the players I want and I’ve found it really difficult because in my last few years (in his previous job at West Ham United), I’ve been involved in European competition.

“It’s a bit easier when you’re a club in Europe. You get a better chance of attracting a lot of players. We’ve been in for a lot of really good players. Unfortunately, a lot them have said ‘no’ at the moment.”

While Moyes’ comments may fill the fans with fear about the upcoming season, they support the notion that they should pay close attention to the comparison between Everton and Villa.

The recent acquisition of defender Adam Aznou from Bayern Munich hammers home that point, as does the ongoing interest in Lyon winger Malick Fofana.

These are young players with plenty of scope for development and who could be the basis of an exciting team a little further down the line.

Although the lack of transfer business up to this point is frustrating, it is essential for Everton fans to trust the direction the club is taking.

Moyes may ultimately regret eyeing European qualification this season, but the long-term picture should be bright judging by the foundations which are being laid.

The Scotsman may ultimately not be the man who enjoys the fruits of this early labour, although the supporters will be desperate for him to be successful.

As Villa discovered when they appointed Unai Emery in 2022, putting the right manager in place is a crucial part of the puzzle for a football club.

Moyes will need to carefully balance short-term expectations against more realistic long-term goals and it will be intriguing to see how everything works out for him and the club.