David Moyes has admitted he was caught off guard by Everton’s potential sale, revealing that he only learned of the owners’ decision on Friday morning as uncertainty returned to Goodison Park’s successor, Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The Friedkin Group (TFG), led by American billionaire Dan Friedkin, announced that it was open to new investment, including the “potential sale of a controlling interest” in the Premier League club.
The development comes less than two years after TFG completed its full takeover of Everton in December 2024, ending Farhad Moshiri’s turbulent spell as owner.
Moyes, who returned to the Merseyside club in early 2025, admitted that the news came as a surprise, although he suggested events during the summer transfer window had given him some indication that the ownership situation might not be as settled as he had expected.
“Yeah I was surprised, they’d only came in a year and a half ago,” Moyes said in a press conference – before claiming he first felt signs of the owners not being committed during the most recent transfer window.
The Everton manager explained that he had expected the American ownership group to remain at the club for considerably longer, giving the team an opportunity to build towards sustained success.
“Most owners come in for a lot longer than that. We were all expecting them to be here for 20 to 30 years, however long it may be.
“But maybe the way things worked out over the transfer window, I probably had seen through it a little bit before that. It’s probably all there for Evertonians to see now.
“I truly believed that with new ownership who were in for it completely with us all, my ambition coming back was to get Everton back to the levels they’d been at in the past – challenging for Europe more often, being around it.
“And probably you could tell with how I’ve been a lot over the summer that that’s the way it’s been. It’s been a difficult summer for us.
“I only found out this morning myself along with everybody else. I’m a little bit surprised, but maybe not really that surprised.”
The announcement has reopened questions about Everton’s long-term direction, with the club once again facing uncertainty over who will ultimately control its future.
The past few years have been particularly difficult for Everton supporters. Previous takeover attempts involving 777 Partners and John Textor failed to reach completion, while TFG also experienced collapsed talks before finally securing control in late 2024.
The club’s financial difficulties added to the turmoil, with Everton receiving two separate points deductions for breaches of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules. During that period, the Toffees came dangerously close to relegation from the top flight for the first time.
Moyes acknowledged that the previous season had offered a welcome period of relative stability, making the latest announcement particularly disappointing for supporters who had hoped the club’s prolonged uncertainty was finally behind them.
Asked whether he felt he had been sold a dream that might now disappear, the Scottish manager made it clear that his commitment to Everton remained unchanged.
“No. Because I love this club so much and they could have sold me anything and I’d have still taken it.
“But it’s for Evertonians I feel sorry for the most. They’ve been through so many difficult periods, they really have. The last thing they wanted to hear was this.
“Last year we went through a season where there wasn’t much drama. There wasn’t any relegation problems, we had a bit of drama of money that we had to pay to Burnley.
“Apart from that, in the main we’ve done pretty well over the year and were just starting to get back at the right footing – and challenging at the right end of the table rather than the wrong end.
“I’m more disappointed for Evertonians who have to go through another period of: ‘who’s going to be the new owner?'”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the club’s ownership, Moyes insisted that his immediate priority was keeping the players focused on their performances rather than allowing off-field developments to disrupt their progress.
The manager also played down concerns about his own position should new investors arrive, stressing that the squad must continue concentrating on winning matches.
“I’ve not really thought about it yet from that point of view. The players have been great so far and we’ll keep them focused on what we can do which is win the games.
“I always think that Evertonians galvanise even more so when it comes to a situation where the team needs help, the manager needs help – we’ll stick together. We’ll certainly be in that camp.
“I’m just reading the things that I’ve seen this morning. They’re looking forward to getting the right people in to bring the club further forward.
“It’s a great club if anybody is out there who wants to buy it. If they want to speak to me, I’ll be the first person to tell them that it’s certainly worth buying.”
TFG’s willingness to consider a sale now places Everton’s next chapter firmly in the spotlight. For Moyes and the supporters, the hope will be that any change in ownership brings the investment, stability and long-term ambition needed to restore the club’s place among England’s leading sides.
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