In a dramatic change for the American owners, who have owned the club since 2010, they are now inviting bids for the Merseyside club and a full sales presentation has been prepared for bidders. FSG have staked out Anfield since October 2010 when they bought the club from George Gillett and Tom Hicks for £300m – but are now said to be ‘inviting offers’. Investment banking giants Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have reportedly been recruited to help with the process. As of May 2022, Forbes valued Liverpool at $4.45 billion (£3.89 billion) – but with Chelsea having been sold to LA Dodgers owner Todd Boehly for £4.25 billion earlier this year, the giants of Merseyside would probably command a similar price. In a statement provided to Athletic, FSG said that “under the right terms and conditions” they would be open to selling the club. “FSG has received frequent expressions of interest from third parties seeking to become shareholders in Liverpool,” FSG wrote. “FSG have said in the past that under the right terms and conditions we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club.” Fenway Sports Group (owners John W Henry, second left and Tom Werner, second from right) have announced they are ‘inviting offers’ to sell Liverpool in a dramatic ownership update As of May 2022, Forbes valued Liverpool at $4.45 billion as one of England’s biggest clubs FSG have enjoyed incredible success at Liverpool, particularly since hiring manager Jurgen Klopp in 2015. The German manager delivered a Premier League title as well as the Champions League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup. FSG, which also owns the Boston Red Sox baseball franchise, the NESN television network, 50 percent of Roush Fenway Racing and Fenway Sports Management, is headed by John W Henry. In 2021 FSG sold an 11 per cent stake in the company for $750m (£655m) to RedBird Capital Partners – a move that saw them reinvest that money to take a controlling stake in NHL ice hockey team the Pittsburgh Penguins . All has not been clear for FSG when it comes to their relationship with Liverpool fans. The band came under fire in 2019 when they tried to use the name Liverpool. Henry (centre) and Werner bought the club from George Gillett and Tom Hicks in 2010 Since hiring Jurgen Klopp (second from left) FSG have enjoyed incredible success at Liverpool Supporters group Spirit of Shankly strongly opposed the bid and successfully lobbied against the move. Henry also made a public speech to fans last year to apologize for Liverpool’s involvement in a failed breakaway from Europe’s Super League. “I want to apologize to all the fans and supporters of Liverpool Football Club for the disruption I have caused over the last 48 hours,” he said. “It goes without saying, but it must be said that the project presented will never stand without the support of the fans. Nobody ever thought otherwise in England. “In those 48 hours you were very clear that it wasn’t going to last. We heard you. I heard you.’ Henry and his wife Linda celebrate Liverpool’s 2019 Champions League triumph A year earlier, amid the global coronavirus pandemic, FSG were heavily criticized for deciding to sack their non-playing staff. It forced a quick turnaround from the owners. Liverpool made £533m in that financial year and made a £42m profit – and yet chose to adopt the government scheme where staff were paid 20 per cent less. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher called it a “big mistake” at the time and was backed by then chief executive Peter Moore. Four of the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United – are owned by Americans and FSG’s bombshell statement comes as major news. Nine clubs in the Premier League are wholly or partly owned by Americans following a boom in US ownership over the past two decades. FSG has earmarked more than £190m to refurbish Anfield and increase capacity There is a growing resentment towards FSG among pockets of the Liverpool support as the club are in desperate need of an overhaul after years of consistent success. FSG’s biggest step off the pitch has been the Anfield redevelopment. The Main Stand was transformed into a £110m move while work is underway on the £80m Anfield Road Stand. Both these projects will take Anfield’s capacity to nearly 61,000, making it 16,000 more than when Gillett and Hicks bought the club 12 years ago.
