Fenway Sports Group has listed Liverpool FOR SALE, with Boston Red Sox owners turning to big banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to find a buyer after seeing Chelsea sell for £4.25billion
- Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have put the club up for sale
- FSG has been owned by the Merseyside club since its purchase in October 2010
- They are “welcoming offers” for the Premier League giants after 12 years in office
Fenway Sports Group (FSG) has put Liverpool up for sale.
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 ruled Anfield since October 2010 when they bought George Gillett and Tom Hicks’ team, but are now said to be “welcoming offers”.
Investment banking giants Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley were reportedly recruited to help with the process.
In May 2022, Forbes valued Liverpool at $4.45bn (£3.89bn) – but with Chelsea being sold to LA Dodgers owner Todd Boehly for £4.25bn earlier this year, the Merseyside giants are likely to charge a corresponding price.
In a statement to Athletic, FSG said they were ready to sell the club ‘under the right conditions’.
“FSG has frequently received expressions of interest from third parties wishing to become shareholders in Liverpool,” wrote FSG.
“FSG have previously said that under the right conditions we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club.”
FSG have had an incredible amount of success at Liverpool, especially since the appointment of 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, NESN television, 50 percent of Roush Fenway Racing and Fenway Sports Management, is led by John W. Henry.
In 2021, FSG sold an 11 per cent stake in the company to RedBird Capital Partners for US$750m (£655m) – a move in which they reinvested that money to take a majority stake in NHL ice hockey team Pittsburgh Penguins .
Things have not been easy for FSG in terms of their relationship with Liverpool fans.
The group faced criticism in 2019 for attempting to trademark the Liverpool name.
The Spirit of Shankly support group firmly rejected the offer and successfully lobbied against the move.
Henry also publicly addressed fans last year to apologize for Liverpool’s part in a thwarted breakaway from the European Super League.
“I would like to apologize to all Liverpool Football Club fans and supporters for the disruption I have caused over the past 48 hours,” he said.
“It goes without saying, but it should be said that the proposed project would never last without fan support. Nobody in England ever thought otherwise.
“In those 48 hours you knew very well 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 was heavily criticized for deciding to furlough its non-gaming staff.
It forced the owners into a quick about-face.
Liverpool had a turnover of £533m and a profit of £42m that financial year – and yet they opted for the government scheme which saw staff pay 20 per cent less.
Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher called it a “big mistake” at the time and was backed by then-CEO Peter Moore.
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