Fenway Sports Group (FSG), which also owns the Boston Red Sox, bought the club in 2010, with it winning the Premier League in 2019-20 and the Champions League in 2019. In a statement FSG said: “There have been a number of recent ownership changes and rumors of ownership changes at EPL clubs and inevitably we are regularly asked about Fenway Sports Group’s ownership of Liverpool. “FSG has frequently received expressions of interest from third parties seeking to become shareholders in Liverpool. FSG has 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. “FSG remains fully committed to Liverpool’s success, both on and off the pitch.” The club is mainly owned by John W Henry, along with FSG chairman Tom Werner. The couple has looked at other opportunities in the past, but nothing has come of them. It is understood that banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley will help with the sale process if an offer is accepted. Supporters’ group Spirit of Shankly (SOS) said it had written to the club for “clarification” and hoped fans would be consulted on any potential sale. The group said in a statement: “We have seen reports today that FSG have put Liverpool FC up for sale. “Spirit of Shankly have written to LFC for clarification and will await a response before commenting. “However, we expect both the Supporters Board and SOS to be involved in some part of the process so that supporters are front and center in any sale and the first thoughts of future owners.”
Water tests
Rob Harris
Sports Correspondent @RobHarris The way Liverpool’s owners put it is that they always welcome expressions of interest in potential investment in the club, but their willingness to go public somehow signals a willingness and desire to bring in new outside investment – perhaps potentially full acquisition. A crucial part of the statement is how recent ownership changes in the Premier League are reported – they now know, effectively, how much a club is worth at the top, especially since Chelsea were sold in May. This could really be a message from Liverpool, they are trying to test the market here. They say in their statement that they remain “fully committed” to the club, but things have changed significantly – even in the last decade or so – in terms of the financial landscape across European football. It is increasingly difficult for Liverpool to compete with state-owned clubs – Qatar owns Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City is sponsored by Abu Dhabi and Newcastle is sponsored by Saudi Arabia. Liverpool’s struggles this season – they are only eighth in the Premier League – may be a sign that they want fresh investment at the club. This statement certainly shows that they will be interested. Liverpool have enjoyed great success under manager Jurgen Klopp, who took over in 2015, and Anfield itself has also benefited from FSG. The stadium has a new £110m central stand and work on the £80m Anfield Road stand will be completed next summer. This will bring the capacity at the ground to 61,000. Earlier this year, Russian Roman Abramovich completed the sale of Chelsea FC to an investment group led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital for £2.5bn.
