With FSG reportedly willing to sell Liverpool in full, it begs the question as to exactly how much interest the Americans will receive and from who.
Chris Mann, a leading executive at Sportsology, reckons there’ll be plenty prepared to throw their hat in the ring for a giant of a club.
“I can’t really speak to FSG’s motivations to sell, but what I would say is that for every American owner that wants to exit football club ownership, there’s another 10 queuing up to come in,” he told ESPN.
“Over the past few years we’ve seen a really significant ramp up in U.S. investment in European football. In 2021, there were 15 investments in clubs in the big five leagues and two-thirds of those were by U.S. investors, either individuals or private equity groups.
“American interest in European football is part of a generational shift in that we’ve moved away from the previous kind of vanity investments by high net-worth individuals towards more hard-headed purchases by people and organisations that are looking for clubs that are going to give them big returns.”
Fenway are said to have been in talks with one group for weeks whilst the likes of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment has been listed as a ‘genuine suitor’.
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So where does this leave Liverpool?
The political realities of the club, city and fanbase mean that a MENA-based bidder is unlikely to ever be seriously entertained by John W. Henry and Co. – particularly given how much they value their legacy.
Sticking with an option close to home, then, seems a more probable solution, with the Americans potentially set to hand over the keys to someone they know and feel is competent enough to handle the challenge.
Though our finances may not be comparable to the likes of Sheikh Mansour-backed Manchester City or Newcastle and PIF, FSG have fundamentally transformed our operations behind the scenes and it’ll take a steady hand, as well as deep pockets, to ensure that the ship remains steady for the foreseeable.
Heavy interest should, theoretically, mean a higher chance of bringing in the right kind of owner who will take us to the next level on and off the pitch.
🔴 EOTK INSIDER 🔴: FSG want to sell Liverpool? What’s actually going to happen?… and more