Everton and Chelsea investors rivals for mega £1.7bn deal, US sports franchise lined up
Dan Friedkin could be set to make a huge new investment away from Everton.
The Friedkin Group completed their takeover of Everton in December 2024, and have spent approximately £113million on improving the squad.
The American business group have enjoyed a remarkable first few months in charge of the Blues, winning supporters over almost instantly.
Now, they may look to expand their portfolio within the sporting realm, as a deal is eyed for a US sports franchise.
What franchise does Everton owner Dan Friedkin want to buy?
Everton and Chelsea are rivals in the Premier League, but they may be in a battle off the pitch in the near future.
A report from Sportico on 4 February claims that Dan Friedkin is set to rival José E. Feliciano, who is part of the Clearlake Capital group that owns Chelsea, to purchase the San Diego Padres baseball team.
It states that the Major League Baseball franchise is worth $2.31billion, which is nearly £1.7bn, due to strong performance on and off the field.
How will it affect Everton?
The likelihood is that is has absolutely no impact on Friedkin’s plans for the Toffees.
He owns multiple football clubs, including the Blues, AS Roma and AS Cannes, and already spreads his vast fortunes between them.
| Club | Duration | Stake |
| AS Roma | 2020-present | 95.97% |
| AS Cannes | 2023-present | Majority |
| Everton | 2024-present | 99.5% |
The Sportico report claims that the 60-year-old is worth approximately £7.3bn, due to his involvement in the automobile and hospitality industries.
Other Premier League owners own other sports teams, across the pond, and it does not hamper how their footballing interests in England are treated.
For example, arch-rivals Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group own the Boston Red Sox baseball team, the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Pirates, Nascar’s RFK Racing, and also led a consortium with a stake in the controversial LIV Golf.
They still spent approximately £450m on the Reds in the summer transfer window bringing in the likes of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, so clearly, running multiple teams is not necessarily harmful to other enterprises in the portfolio.
The Hill Dickinson Stadium would likely not even notice if Friedkin expanded his sporting portfolio even further, with a new financial venture.
It may even increase the Blues’ presence in the United States, which has been a key ambition for the new owners since they took charge of the club.