Everton takeover: Keith Wyness suggests 'achievable timeline' for agreement, 'indicative bids' imminent
The Friedkin Group are hoping to have completed a full sale of Everton before the end of the season.
That is according to former Toffees chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that fans can realistically expect to have a new owner in place after Easter.
TFG have now officially put the club up for sale, and are preparing to pull away from the Hill Dickinson Stadium, despite only buying Everton back in 2024.
Wyness believes that the only way the takeover process will extend beyond next summer is if TFG price the club poorly, or suffer from a lack of interest.
However, he does not expect either of those scenarios to play out at this stage.
David Moyes' side remain unbeaten at the start of the new Premier League campaign, but the positive signs on the pitch are being countered by the uncertainty at boardroom level.
Keith Wyness explains next steps for Everton takeover
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Moelis & Company will already be asking for "indicative bids" from prospective Everton buyers.
The investment bank have been appointed by the club to broker the takeover deal, and will now be working towards securing a sale.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness explained the likely next steps for Everton's takeover process.
"The way it'll work is that Moelis, their advisors, will speak to qualified investors, and they will then be allowed access to the data room," he said.
"Then they will ask for indicative bids, and it will go from there. Now, the way that they've timed it, it would seem that they're looking to get this all wrapped up and done before next summer.
"That's an achievable timeline, and I think that's what fans should be thinking about is that you might get a new owner in place after Easter, hopefully or before the transfer window to give them the time to get their feet under the table.
"If it was to go beyond next summer, then either it's priced wrong, or there isn't interest, but I don't think those things will happen.
"There's the owners and directors test, all those sort of things which can take some time, Premier League approvals et cetera. So I'd expect if everything went really well, you'd be looking at April or May next year to get it all closed."
TFG to use stadium expansion to entice sale
Wyness previously told Football Insider last week that TFG will dangle the carrot of potentially expanding the Hill Dickinson Stadium to any potential buyers at Everton.
The American owners expressed a desire to add to the capacity when they first took over, but are now expected to leave the issue to the next custodians.
However, Wyness is adamant that they will use that possibility to entice potential buyers, even if in reality, it will be a difficult task to achieve.
The new stadium is built right in the heart of Bramley Moore dock, and as a result, there is limited space for further expansion to the ground's boundaries.