Everton takeover: expert makes Farhad Moshiri 'moving goalposts' point as Dan Friedkin timeframe given

Dan Friedkin’s Everton takeover could be ratified in a ‘couple of months’ - according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

The American, through his company the Friedkin Group, has been granted exclusivity to purchase majority owner Farhad Moshiri’s 94.1% stake. Friedkin’s interest arose after 777 Partners’ deal collapsed at the end of May having failed for their deal to be given the green light by the Premier League.

Friedkin has already paid off an existing loan of £158 million to MSP Sports Capital and local businessmen Andy Bell and George Downing. In addition, the Texan already owns Italian side AS Roma, as well as having an estimated net wealth of $6.4 billion.

As a result, Maguire - a lecturer at the University of Liverpool - believes that Friedkin shouldn’t have any issues passing the Premier League and FA’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test. The only potential issue is that if Moshiri were to ‘move the goalposts’ in terms of the deal.

Speaking on his podcast The Price of Football, Maguire said: “I am feeling more and more positive. We have been consistent from day one. We have never liked 777 and always said there are lots of other people interested.

“This is the Friedkin Group. As we know, they are the owners of Roma. Everton have a number of outstanding loans, those loans were due for repayment and it looks as if the first of loans in respect to MSP Sports Capital, which was due for repayment at the end of April and then managed to get a stay of execution until the end of the season, it looks as if the Friedkin Group have paid that off.

“They will be going through the books with a fine toothcomb. Evertonians who have been very patient with the farce that's been Farhad Moshiri's ownership in recent years will be feeling that Friedkin have the money, can show the money and evidence how they're going to fund a new development of Bramley-Moore Dock [stadium] and the level of losses at the club for the next year or two.

“From an Owners' and Directors' Test point of view, there is a lot of positivity. In terms of how long the deal is going to take to go through, the Premier League have to do their due diligence and they do deserve a thumbs up for the way they conducted themselves over 777.

“There is no reason why the Friedkin deal cannot go through in a couple of months providing Moshiri doesn't move the goalposts, which he's perhaps been alleged of doing being in respect of some of the interested parties and the Friedkin Group are happy with the list of assets and perhaps, more importantly, the list of liabilities they're likely to inherit should the takeover take place.”