Keith Wyness: Dan Friedkin wants to agree ‘major’ takeover deal, this is how it will impact Everton
Everton owner Dan Friedkin is looking to agree a “major” deal for a US sports franchise.
That is according to former Everton, Aston Villa and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, who exclusively told Football Insider Friedkin previously made a move to buy NBA team the Boston Celtics.
The American billionaire is chairman and CEO of The Friedkin Group (TFG), which took over Everton from Farhad Moshiri in December 2024.
Sportico reported on 4 February Friedkin and Jose E. Feliciano, whose Clearlake Capital owns a majority stake in Chelsea, are among the parties to have expressed an interest in buying the San Diego Padres.
The MLB franchise is valued at around £1.7billion, while the record sale of a baseball team was Steve Cohen’s near £1.8bn purchase of the New York Mets in 2020.
How much Dan Friedkin could have to pay to agree takeover deal
Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index shows Friedkin’s net worth is just over £8bn, making him the 314th richest person in the world.
The 60-year-old’s investments are spread across multiple industries, with Gulf States Toyota, Serie A giants Roma and other entertainment and hospitality businesses making up TFG’s portfolio alongside Everton.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness discussed Friedkin’s interest in buying the San Diego Padres.
“Well, one interesting thing is, there’s a guy called Dave Beeston who’d apparently been part of Fenway Sports, he was appointed as the CEO now of Pursuit Sports in the USA, which is now the holding company for Roma, Everton and all the Friedkin assets,” said Wyness.
“They’ve been sort of signaling an intention. I mean, they were part of the bidding for the Boston Celtics as well, which was a really big purchase.
“Now, the Padres are going to be around about $2.5-3bn (£1.8-2.2bn) if they were to go into that bidding.”
Why Friedkin’s takeover deal will have minimal impact on Everton
Wyness insisted Friedkin’s potential takeover of the MLB franchise wouldn’t have much of an impact on Everton.
“They’ve certainly signalled their intent to get a big major US franchise,” said Wyness.
“I don’t think it’ll necessarily affect Everton as such directly or Roma.
“I think they’ve got to run those clubs now on sustainable models anyway, and they’ll be there to support them as needed in their growth.”
Friedkin has invested heavily in Everton since taking over on Merseyside following the previous financial issues the club faced under Moshiri.
For more expert analysis on Friedkin’s move to buy the San Diego Padres, check out Goodison News.