Who Are the Two Mystery Groups Interested in Buying Everton?

With TFG exploring a sale of a controlling stake, this looks at three names linked to previous takeover attempts and asks whether familiar investors could be behind the current reported interest.

WHO ARE THE TWO MYSTERY GROUPS INTERESTED IN BUYING EVERTON?

Since the news broke that TFG are exploring the possibility of selling a controlling stake in Everton, reports have suggested that two groups have already indicated a willingness to buy the club, with US-based consortiums among the potential interested parties.

Obviously, we don't know who these groups are yet, but it got me thinking about some of the names involved in the previous takeover attempts back in 2024.

There were some serious people looking at Everton back then, and with the club now in a very different position, I wouldn't be surprised if one or two familiar names were to reappear.

I'm not saying any of these are the mystery bidders, but I think they're worth looking at.

1. KEVIN MALONE AND HIS CONSORTIUM

Kevin Malone is probably one of the first names I'd look at.

For those who don't remember, Malone is the former general manager of the LA Dodgers who led a consortium interested in buying Everton during the previous takeover saga.

His group wasn't just another name being thrown around on social media. They made an offer and were prepared to commit more than £78m to football operations. When the Friedkin deal looked to be moving forward, Malone said his group was seriously evaluating the opportunity before deciding whether to reignite its interest.

That last part is what makes him interesting to me.

Malone and his investors have already looked at Everton, considered the financial situation and explored what it would take to get a deal done. They don't need to start from scratch in understanding the club.

Of course, a lot has changed since then. The new stadium is now open, the ownership has changed, and the price being discussed is likely to be considerably higher than what previous bidders were looking at.

But if Malone still has access to the backing and investors behind his original consortium, could they see this as another opportunity worth pursuing?

If one of the two interested groups is American, this is a name I'd certainly keep an eye on.

2. MICHAEL DELL / DELL FAMILY OFFICE

This is another interesting possibility, although it's important to distinguish between Michael Dell personally buying Everton and his investment interests backing a consortium.

Back in 2024, lifelong Evertonians Andy Bell and George Downing put together a serious proposal to buy the club. Their bid was reported to have backing from Michael Dell's family office, alongside significant financial commitments from Bell and Downing themselves.

This wasn't simply two Everton supporters dreaming about owning their club. They were established businessmen with money already invested in Everton, and their proposal was seen as a serious attempt to take control.

What interests me is the potential combination of local knowledge and substantial American financial backing.

Bell and Downing already understood the club, its history and the financial challenges involved. Having Evertonians at the front of a consortium, backed by a major investment source, would be an interesting ownership structure.

Could those relationships still exist? Could the people involved have another look now that Everton have moved into Hill Dickinson Stadium?

There's no evidence that Dell or the previous Bell and Downing group is involved in the current process, so I'm not suggesting they're secretly putting together another bid.

But if we're looking at possible American-backed groups with previous Everton connections, it's difficult to ignore this one.

3. VATCHE MANOUKIAN AND HIS INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM

This might be the most interesting of the three when it comes to the possibility of international money.

In 2024, London-based businessman Vatche Manoukian led an international consortium that made a reported £400m all-equity offer for Everton.

The group was reported to include wealthy American investors, an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family and Australia's Myer family, known for its retail business interests.

What stood out about that proposal was its intended structure. The consortium said it wanted to acquire the club without piling additional debt onto Everton, while providing the operational funding needed to build a sustainable long-term future.

That is worth remembering given the financial difficulties Everton had been dealing with at the time.

Manoukian was also reported to have spoken with the club's creditors as part of his approach. This was a group looking at the wider financial picture, rather than simply the headline purchase price.

The bid ultimately fell away when TFG moved ahead with its own takeover in June 2024.

But Everton is now a different proposition. The new stadium is operational, and the club has a different ownership structure and a new valuation being discussed.

Could Manoukian or some of the investors from his previous consortium be interested again?

Could the American investors involved previously be connected to a different group this time around?

And could international money, including Gulf-based investment, once again form part of a potential Everton takeover?

Again, there's no current evidence linking Manoukian's old consortium to the two reported interested parties. But given the people and financial networks involved in that previous bid, I wouldn't dismiss the possibility of familiar connections resurfacing.

SO, COULD ONE OF THESE BE BEHIND THE CURRENT INTEREST?

What makes these three names interesting is that they all have genuine links to previous attempts to buy Everton.

Malone had a consortium that made an offer and considered returning. Dell's family office was linked to the Bell and Downing proposal. Manoukian assembled an international group with American, Gulf and Australian connections.

That's three different approaches, with three different potential ownership structures.

And with TFG now exploring the sale of a controlling stake, I think it's reasonable to ask whether any of those previous investors might see another opportunity.

Could one of them have returned? Could two of the reported groups have links to people involved in previous bids? Or are we looking at completely new investors who weren't involved last time?

We simply don't know, and I haven't seen anything confirming that any of these three are involved in the current process.

But if I were keeping an eye on developments, these are some of the names I'd be watching alongside any new groups that emerge.

The interesting thing is that we might not necessarily be looking for two completely new names. We could be looking at people who have already tried to buy Everton, or investors connected to those previous attempts.

Who knows? Maybe the next chapter of Everton's ownership story involves someone we've already heard about.

Who do you think the two mystery groups could be? And are there any other names from the previous takeover attempts you think could come back into the picture?

Written by OptimumShots October 10 2026 22:13:34