Ex-Premier League star says The Friedkin Group are ‘flipping’ Everton amid new owners hope

Former Premier League striker Alan Smith told the Liverpool Echo he suspects The Friedkin Group is "flipping" Everton to make a profit. His comments come after the Houston-based group announced plans to sell the club less than 22 months after acquiring Farhad Moshiri's 99.5% stake. Smith expressed hope that incoming owners will commit to the club for the long term.

Smith noted that Everton remains an attractive proposition for future investors due to their new stadium and Finch Farm training facilities. The prospective sale follows a turbulent summer transfer window where Everton recouped over £100 million on deadline day, leaving manager David Moyes with a heavily reduced first-team squad.