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.