The news broke on Monday that Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group are interested in selling the club after 12 years in charge of its running.
Having bought the club for £300m in 2010, the Reds’ American owners will now look to cash in for a whopping £4billion and are looking for potential buyers, hiring investment companies Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to conduct the sale of Liverpool, reports the Athletic.
Their reasons for selling the club are said to be, according to the Mirror: the prospect of a massive profit, the collapse of the European Super League project – in which Henry was a prime mover – and a feeling that it will become harder and harder to compete financially with state-backed clubs such as Manchester City and Newcastle.
Interested buyers will now start to gather around the club and there are five that could potentially become the Reds’ new owners, reports 90min.
List of potential new Liverpool owners
RedBird Capital Partners
FSG sold a 10% stake of the club to New York-based private investment firm RedBird Capital Partners in 2021 which saw Liverpool’s value rise to £5.32bn.
This deal was initially established to bring about financial stability during the Covid-19 pandemic, but RedBird may be interested in buying the club outright.
However, they did purchase AC Milan in the summer, and many will question whether they have the financial might to buy the Reds as well.
Unnamed Middle Eastern party
FSG were subject to a reported £3bn bid to buy the club from an unnamed Middle Eastern party just before Liverpool joined up for the European Super League in April 2021.
John W. Henry rebuffed the offer back then, but this unknown entity could return with an increased bid.
Thomas S. Ricketts
Thomas S. Ricketts is the co-founder of Incapital LLC and the current chairman of the Chicago Cubs.
Ricketts is believed to be interested in business ventures outside of the US and he was keen on acquiring Chelsea earlier this year. The possibility of owning Liverpool is one that’ll surely entice him.
Sir Martin Broughton
Could Broughton make a comeback? The British businessman briefly served as Liverpool chairman in 2010 and is widely regarded as saving the club from the abyss as he facilitated the sale to FSG.
Broughton, a lifelong Chelsea fan, was keen on buying the Blues earlier this year and is unlikely to return to Merseyside. But, he’s got the money.
Dubai Royal Family
The Dubai Royal Family have held a long interest in buying Liverpool, and they could return to the bidding table in 2022.
Tom Hicks and George Gillett pipped them to the post at the end of 2006, but the American pair came close to selling the club to the Dubai Royals a year later before the deal collapsed.
The Al-Maktoums were willing to purchase the club for £500m 15 years ago, and while a significantly larger bid will be required this time around, the Royals aren’t exactly strapped for cash.
We really need a rich person to buy Liverpool cause we want to compete with the likes off the big club if we don’t we will always be frustrated in the years to come so I’ll agree to one of the Dubai guys
please no more american owners ,,we want owners who have the same wealth as newcastle and man city ,,so mr klopp can compete with there spending as like of chelsea ,manu and arsenal ,,,mr klopp is peanuts at spending ,and been playing catch up in the transfer market since october 2015 ,,thank you FSG for all you have done for liverpool ,,please leave us with very rich new owners ,,ie arabs owners
i agree with patrick 200 percent ,,,no more american owners ;;we need a new sheik or one of the big dubai guys
Jesus all you bin dippers don’t half start changing your tune as soon as money is being thrown around.
Dubai Royal Family is the best and right choice for the purchase of LFC.
I’d love to heard that bidder came from Royal Dubai family.
Wish them good luck.
Thanks to our current / leaving onwers you have played a significant role in Liverpool FC during your time, we need rich people who will give Liverpool a strong financial injection so that we can compete with rich clubs financial as we do in the field of play… #YWNWA
We do not need blood money
The history of Liverpool is the opposite of blood money with Shankly, Paisley, and their likes.
I’m not willing to walk over dead beheaded bodies of raped women “committing the crime of infidelity”
I want to continue to be proud of my club, winning anything the same way as shitty? I’d rather be a toon.
Say No to Arab blood money!
We’re supporters not some crazy regime’s way of clean washing their human rights violations.
Be proud of the history of Liverpool FC ffs.
I’d go for dubai royal family. Loads o money. Don’t know much about them but we’ll wait and see.
FSG have done a fair job of bringing our club back to the good days of winning trophies. Stadium up around the best in the country with more to come. Yes they have made some mistakes but have listened to the fans and are working with them. All we need is large cash injection to compete with the likes of Newcastle or City
What of Indian billionaire
Did he want to buy the club
yes the dubai royal family are welcome to buy liverpool ,,as long as they give mr klopp money to spend ,,as billionairs spenders man oil city ,chelsea manu and now newcastle are all laughing at klopp peanuts spending since 2015,, and this seasons net spent of 25 million ,,,,i hope mr klopp gets the same amount of money to spend as pep of m city since 2016