Friedkin Group offer Everton clues after show of transfer ambition at Roma

The Friedkin Group’s (TFG) imminent arrival at Everton is providing Evertonians hope that their season can be turned around and that the club’s move into their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock will be a prosperous one.

The Farhad Moshiri-era of Everton has been a tumultuous one to say the least. Since 2016, Everton have experienced eight different managers, three relegation battles, and eight points deducted. How events in the Friedkin-era of Everton will transpire is yet to be seen but the Blues can gauge an idea of what to expect by studying TFG’s time as owners of the Toffees’ soon-to-be sister club AS Roma.

Dan Friedkin became President of Roma, with his son Ryan becoming the Vice-President, when TFG bought a 96% share of the Italian club for $591 million in August 2020. The club’s economic position was not as tenuous as Everton’s has been in the last few years but it was certainly a weakness - the American’s wealth quickly resolved this, however.

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With financial instability a common theme of the Moshiri-era, the possibility of that no longer being the case as Everton enter 2025 will be a sure-fire way for TFG to win over fans early into their tenure.

TFG inherited Paulo Fonseca as manager when they arrived at Roma and chose not to immediately part ways. This is notable for Everton given Sean Dyche’s somewhat precarious position as manager and whether instantly cutting ties with the Englishman will be the new ownership’s prerogative.

While Roma’s first season under TFG (20/21) doesn’t give a clear indication of The Friedkin’s as owners given they had little influence, the following season gives more clues as to how TFG may act on Merseyside when they take over from Moshiri. The decision to sack Fonseca and replace him with fellow Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho, coupled with the €40 million signing of striker Tammy Abraham, signaled TFG’s big ambition.

That ambition saw rewards the very same season as Roma were able to lift a trophy for the first time in 14 years when they won the inaugural Europa Conference League. It goes without saying that TFG would be deemed hugely successful owners if they were able to steer Everton in the way of silverware.

Since that season, Roma have continued to acquire big names; in the form of Paulo Dybala, and former Everton striker, Romelu Lukaku. Progress has been stunted, however, with TFG yet to crack the top four in Italy during their tenure.

The current season for Roma has had a tumultuous nature that Everton fans have experienced far too much and will be keen to avoid. Now in December, Roma are onto their third manager of the season after club legend Daniele De Rossi and Croatian Ivan Juric have both received their marching orders, with Premier League winner Claudio Ranieri now at the helm. Roma currently sits at a dismal 15th position in Serie A.

It’s clear the main feature of TFG ownership is immense ambition. Roma have spent big, particularly on wages, to accrue top talent both on the pitch and in the dugout. Though, despite a European trophy certainly not being something to sniff at, that ambition hasn’t completely translated to success.

Everton will be all too wary about a new owner splashing the cash early and achieving little from it but the club will also be keen to enter their new state-of-the-art stadium in 2025 with a surge of ambition behind them.