David Moyes has admitted he was "pretty surprised" to learn The Friedkin Group are putting Everton up for sale less than two years after taking over, with the Toffees boss revealing he only found out on Friday morning when the statement landed.
The American owners confirmed in an official statement that they are exploring new investment options for Everton, including "the potential sale of a controlling interest" — a bombshell announcement that has plunged the club into fresh uncertainty ahead of Sunday's trip to Hull City.
Moyes, who returned to Goodison Park in early 2025 and has guided Everton to seventh after five games this season, did not hide his shock when facing the media on Friday. His reaction will resonate with supporters who thought the club had finally found stability.
Moyes found out on Friday morning
"I was surprised because they only came in a year and a half ago," Moyes said. "I think most owners spend longer than that. Pretty surprised."
The Scot went on to admit he first heard the news at the same time as the supporters. "I only found out this morning myself along with everybody else," he said. "I think we were all expecting them to be here for the next 20 to 30 years."
There was, however, a hint that the warning signs had been there. Moyes confessed the club's difficult transfer window had raised doubts about the owners' commitment.
"Maybe after the way things sort of worked out over the transfer window I probably would have seen through it a bit before that, and it's probably there for all Evertonians to see now," he said. "Probably you could tell how I've been a lot over the summer time that that's the way it's been. It has been a difficult summer for us."
Fans staged a protest late in the window over the sale of academy graduate Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest, while deadline day saw the club fail to land striker Folarin Balogun hours after Beto was sold to Fiorentina. That left Moyes with a first-team squad of just 18 senior outfield players — hardly the backing a manager expecting a long-term project would hope for.
Moyes was asked whether he felt mis-sold a dream when he agreed to return to the club. "No. Because I love this club so much and they could have sold me anything and I'd have still taken it," he replied, per Sky. "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."
A familiar pattern of instability
The announcement is the latest twist in a turbulent decade for the club, as reported by talkSPORT. Before The Friedkin Group's takeover in December 2024, Farhad Moshiri's ownership saw failed sales to both 777 Partners and John Textor, two rounds of points deductions for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, and repeated relegation battles.
TFG's statement insisted the groundwork had been laid for a sale. "When TFG became custodians of Everton, the Club faced significant financial uncertainty and challenges both on and off the pitch," it read. "The immediate priority was to provide the stability, investment and support needed to secure the Club's future, including helping to bring the long-promised stadium to completion for its deserving supporters. With that foundation now safely in place, the time is right to consider the next chapter for Everton. 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."
What happens next
TFG say they will continue to support the club on and off the pitch throughout the process, and will only consider proposals from parties they believe can build on the progress made since the takeover.
For Moyes, the timing is awkward. The 63-year-old is out of contract at the end of the current campaign and admitted he has not yet thought about how an ownership change might affect his own future.
The irony will not be lost on Evertonians that while their club confronts yet another ownership saga, neighbours City are fighting their own battle over the Premier League's financial charges — with Enzo Maresca insisting this week that his club's owners are "convinced" they will win their appeal.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Everton were supposed to be done with the chaos — a new stadium, a settled manager and seventh in the table felt like a club finally moving forward. Instead, the Friedkin Group's sale announcement drags the Toffees back into the uncertainty they thought they had escaped. If Moyes was blindsided on Friday morning, Evertonians deserve to know what the next chapter actually looks like. Should supporters brace for another lengthy takeover saga, or can this sale be the one that finally gets Everton moving forward again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
