Everton’s owners are seeking new investors less than two years after acquiring the club, following a transfer window in which Premier League rivals spent record amounts in a frantic race for talent.

The Friedkin Group, the US conglomerate that also owns Italian club AS Roma, is working with financial advisers on the sale of a stake in Everton, the Financial Times reported, citing several people familiar with the matter.

The process is still at an early stage and could result in new investors acquiring a significant stake in the Liverpool-based club.

Neither the Friedkin Group nor Everton commented on the matter.

The move comes after Fenway Sports Group recently sold more than a third of fellow Premier League club Liverpool to a consortium that includes Amit Bhatia, son-in-law of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, valuing the historic club at $7 billion.

The Friedkin Group acquired Everton from Farhad Moshiri at the end of 2024 for around £330 million, including costs and debt.

Rising valuations in sport and the cost of competing in the Premier League are prompting an increasing number of clubs to be owned by investment groups rather than a single individual.

Premier League clubs spent a record €4.1 billion on players this summer, while sales reached €2.5 billion, according to Transfermarkt. “It’s an arms race,” one person involved in the Everton process told the FT.

Everton were relatively cautious in the transfer window, spending just €103 million on new players while generating €129 million from player sales.