Everton’s owner, The Friedkin Group, is looking to sell the club less than two years after taking over from Farhad Moshiri.

The Houston-based company confirmed in a statement on Friday that it was seeking fresh investment in Everton but was also open to relinquishing control should a suitable buyer be found. No timescale has been placed on a sale but TFG is confident of attracting a buyer quickly and potentially concluding a deal this season.

“The Friedkin Group is exploring new investment options for Everton Football Club, including the potential sale of a controlling interest,” it said. Moelis & Company, an investment bank, will handle any sale.

TFG’s announcement follows a calamitous end to the summer ­transfer window that raised scrutiny over its long-term commitment to the ­Premier League club. The group’s decision is understood to be based on the amount of funding needed to further Everton’s ambitions and restrictions surrounding multi-club ownership. Roma, another high-profile asset requiring serious investment, and Cannes are also in TFG’s stable. The company is preparing to launch an NHL franchise in Houston worth about $3.5bn (£2.6bn).

TFG’s move is also an opportunity to make a quick profit on a club it bought as a distressed asset from Moshiri in December 2024. TFG spent about £400m to take over Everton and the club’s considerable debt – Moshiri walked away with an initial £25m – and has stabilised the finances while securing funding for Hill Dickinson Stadium on more favourable terms. An asking price of about £800m, including long-term debt of about £380m, would represent a healthy return in the event of a full sale, although all levels of investment are being considered.

The statement read: “When TFG became custodians of Everton, the club faced significant financial uncertainty and challenges both on and off the pitch. The immediate priority was to provide the stability, investment and support needed to secure the club’s future, including helping to bring the long-promised stadium to completion for its deserving supporters.

“With that foundation now safely in place, the time is right to ­consider the next chapter for Everton. We will only entertain interest from parties who we strongly believe will be the right stewards to take the club ­forward and build on the momentum that has been established.

“Throughout this process, TFG’s focus will remain unchanged. We will support the club in all ways necessary to achieve success on the pitch and will continue efforts to make a ­positive difference in the communities the club serves.”

TFG’s financial and personal commitment to Everton has been ­questioned in recent months. The club’s transfer strategy changed midway through the summer window to a sell-to-buy policy, with the owner’s decision to accept a £40m offer from Nottingham Forest for Harrison ­Armstrong the first sign of that shift.

Armstrong’s sale was halted after a backlash among Evertonians but the team’s most creative asset, ­Iliman Ndiaye, was then sold to ­Manchester City for £65m. David Moyes, whose long-term future at Everton is also uncertain, then revealed he had never spoken to Dan Friedkin, TFG’s founder and the club’s chair, since returning as manager in January 2025.

Moyes’s squad was left short on numbers and a centre-forward on deadline day after Beto’s sale to Fiorentina and the collapse of ­Folarin Balogun’s mooted £40m move from Monaco. Everton have plans to address those weaknesses in January but they could be affected by a potential takeover.

TFG believed it could work around Uefa regulations on multi-club ownership should Everton and Roma qualify for the same European competition. That is not the case and, with Uefa enforcing rules on such ownership structures strictly, TFG faces having to put one club in a blind trust to avoid any sanctions.

With the stadium move complete and finances stabilised, Everton are a more attractive proposition than when TFG bought the club.