Everton fans won't believe what Dan Friedkin did when Roma signed Romelu Lukaku last summer


Everton fans have rejoiced after finally seeing Dan Friedkin agree to purchase the club - and they are now keen to learn more about their new proposed owner.
Having been in football club ownership since 2020 with AS Roma, he has helped rebuild the club from a poor period and they have re-established themselves in Italian football and Europe having won the Europa Conference League in 2022 with Jose Mourinho.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThen, last summer, they announced the signing of Romelu Lukaku on a season-long-loan after Chelsea looked to offload him after his tumultuous second spell in London. It was a strong signing at the time to bring an established name to the club, managin 21 goals and four assists in 47 games. The former Everton man arrived via a private plan on August 31 but the most surprising fact from the deal is that Friedkin himself was piloting the plane.
There aren’t many owners - or any - that have been spotted doing just that and his hands-on approach to the club will certainly be a far cry from what was seen under Farhad Moshiri who has been a very distant owner since 2016.
Furthermore, his aviation pursuits don’t end there. He was a stuntman as part of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk film in 2017 where he was awarded a Taurus Stunt Award for Best Specialty Stunt. Friedkin piloted an authentic Spitfire through an aerial dogfight, landing on the beach at Dunkirk, France. Plus, he’s also been a producer on several other films.
Valued at $6.4bn by Forbes, he is an incredibly rich owner who will certainly help Everton from a financial standpoint; ESPN journalist Gabriele Marcotti revealed one of his positive traits is that the Friedkin Group will use their own money to help the club as shown by his time in Italy.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAs it stands, the deal need Premier League approval to go ahead. For Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the process took 47 days. That means if it takes the same amount of time from the date of the announcement (September 23) it will mean a completion sometime around November 9/10.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.