Alan Smith does not believe the Friedkin Group ever intended to stay long at Everton.

The former Arsenal striker, now a co-commentator for Sky Sports, told BestBettingSites.co.uk, in comments picked up by BritBrief, that he thinks the Houston-based ownership group is simply looking to turn a profit on the Merseyside club.

“I have big suspicions that The Friedkin Group are just flipping it to make a profit.”

His comments landed days after the Friedkin Group confirmed on Friday 9 October that it would explore investment options and a potential sale of the club. The group only completed its takeover of Farhad Moshiri’s 98.8% controlling stake on 19 December 2024, meaning Everton has been placed back on the market inside 22 months.

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The ownership framed the decision as a handover of a stabilized club. “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,” the group said in its statement.

Moyes found out the morning of the announcement

Manager David Moyes was not briefed in advance. Asked about the news, he told reporters he had learned of it with the rest of the fanbase.

“I only found out this morning myself along with everybody else.”

“Yeah I was surprised, they’d only came in a year and a half ago.”

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Moyes added that his sympathies lay with supporters. “It’s for Evertonians I feel sorry for the most. They’ve been through so many difficult periods.” He signed off with an unsolicited sales pitch of his own: “It’s a great club if anybody is out there who wants to buy it.”

Smith wants owners who build, not trade

Smith, who won two First Division titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the European Cup Winners’ Cup during his career at Highbury, argued that fans deserve something more durable than a holding-period ownership. Everton, he said, should be “hoping to get some good owners that are in it for the long term and want to build the club.”

He also noted that Moyes appeared to be “as much in the dark as a lot of the fans are” when the sale was floated.

The Friedkin Group’s portfolio stretches beyond Everton. The Texas-based family office also owns Serie A club AS Roma and French side AS Cannes, and ESPN has reported that funding commitments at Roma, including a planned new stadium, have shaped the group’s strategic review of its football holdings.

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For now, the Friedkin Group has retained investment bank Moelis & Company to run the sale process, with Sky Sports citing analyst Alan Myers in placing the expected asking price in the £800m, £1bn range. Moyes, whose contract runs until the end of the season, said he had not yet turned his mind to what the change of ownership would mean for his own future.

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