EXCLUSIVE: Everton deserve new owners who want to build the club in the long term because The Friedkin Group are just flipping them, says Alan Smith
The Friedkin Group are “just flipping” Everton to make a profit and the Blues deserve a new set of owners who want to build the club in the long term.
That’s the verdict of a former Premier League star after the Houston-based company announced last Friday that they are planning to sell the club, less than 22 months after they completed their takeover, purchasing Farhad Moshiri’s 99.5% controlling stake.
Chairman Dan Friedkin has never attended a Blues match and TFG came under fire for what was widely viewed as a chaotic end to the summer transfer window.
Everton pocketed over £100million on transfer deadline day, with their most creative talent, Iliman Ndiaye, last season’s top scorer Beto, Tim Iroegbunam and Nathan Patterson all sold, plus Adam Aznou loaned out. Following the late collapse of the purchase of USA World Cup star Folarin Balogun from Monaco, manager David Moyes was left with a first-team squad of just 18 outfield players that contains a solitary striker, left-back and right-back.
But following the 2-2 draw at Hull City on Sunday, his side remain unbeaten so far this season after eight matches in all competitions.
Alan Smith lifted a brace of League championships with Arsenal plus the FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup-Winners’ Cup, netting 115 goals in 351 games. Speaking courtesy of BestBettingSites.co.uk, the 63-year-old told the ECHO: “It’s a bit strange.
“I have big suspicions that The Friedkin Group are just flipping it to make a profit. It’s not often you get owners just having a club like that for such a short space of time.
“David Moyes is as much in the dark as a lot of the fans are, he obviously didn’t speak to them at all, really. So, now Everton will be hoping to get some good owners that are in it for the long term and want to build the club.”
Smith concurs with Moyes that the Blues are a great investment opportunity for someone with a vision. He added: “Listen, they’ve obviously got a beautiful new stadium.
“Finch Farm, the training ground, is an excellent facility. So, it’s not as if new owners have got to come in and start from scratch and think about building a new stadium as a lot of owners do with clubs.
“Hopefully that will be an attractive proposition. I don’t know what The Friedkin Group are going to ask for it.
“Whether they might price themselves out of the market; I don’t know. Hopefully there will be a few suitors for Everton.”
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