Liverpool are a terrific project for any potential owner to take off FSG’s hands but is the club’s resurgence in the last decade or so that will likely make it such a difficult one to prise from the group’s grasp.
The reality of a plus £3bn sale (as a likely minimum starting point) means only a select few possible suitors have the capital necessary to throw their hat in the ring – of which there is an even smaller pool when taking into account how they sync up with politics and morals of the city.
“Liverpool have such steady revenue streams that any buyer would be paying a premium because everything is in place,” Tim Keech, co-founder of MRKT Insights, told The Athletic.
“We’re talking about one of football’s crown jewels and they don’t become available very often. Manchester City was a project buy, a bit like Newcastle. You were buying a Premier League club and trying to turn them into a big club. Liverpool are already in the top five in the world in terms of profile and reach.
“There aren’t many people with £3billion to £4billion to spend. Then you’ve got potential issues in terms of who will be accepted by fan groups. But there will be a lot of interest. I don’t see it being one high net worth individual but a group of investors or another fund like FSG.”
Assuming that Fenway do, indeed, have no intention of simply cutting and running, we can quite probably safely rule out the Americans sorting an arrangement with a gulf state buyer.
READ MORE: Liverpool’s next owners: the best and worst case scenarios after FSG statement – Opinion
There is the possibility of an appropriate option arising from the Far East, though it’s most likely that the next Liverpool owner (should a full sale be the ideal eventuality) will be from the states and, quite possibly, someone FSG are already aware of.
We can more than understand fans feeling a little anxious about any possible change given the period of stability we’ve enjoyed of late under John W. Henry and Co.
Despite all that, we’ve faith in our current owners finding a solution that is genuinely in the best interests of the club rather than merely revolving around turning a sizeable profit.
EOTK INSIDER: FSG want to sell Liverpool? What’s actually going to happen?… and more
American sports and their Franchise system is set up to make money for owners, whereas European club football, at any level is pretty much the opposite.
As long as any potential American owner(s) understand that and that it’s about winning on the pitch, it’s the scoreline, not the bottom line that matters, then they’re not the worse possible breed of owner.
At least with the price tag we won’t get ‘an Owen Oyston’.