Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have made the shock decision to put the Merseyside outfit up for sale and are demanding an eye-watering price for the club.
John W Henry's group has put the Reds on the market and they could be in line for a huge profit having completed a £300m takeover back in 2010. FSG are expecting a huge return on their investment having put a £4billion price-tag on the club in the event of any deal.
Should a takeover be pushed through in either the immediate or long-term future, then that would see Liverpool challenge for the crown as the most lucrative takeover in Premier League history.
With that being said, Mirror Football takes a look at the current most expensive takeovers that have already been completed in the top-flight of English football:
10) £100m - Sport Republic for Southampton
One of the more recent deals to feature on this list, sport and entertainment investment firm Sport Republic completed a £100m deal for south coast club Southampton back in January.
That takeover bid was fronted by Serbian businessman Dragan Solak and he spent relatively heavily in his first season in charge.
Since taking the reins from former owner Gao Jisheng, Sport Republic have sought to invest in younger players in the hope of selling them on for profits, but on Monday they sacked manager Ralph Hasenhuttl after four years in charge at the club.
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9) £134m - Mike Ashley for Newcastle United
Often criticised for his role at St James’ Park, Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley initially arrived on Tyneside back in the summer of 2007 having reportedly paid £134m in total for Newcastle United.
Despite a promising start, it all quickly turned sour having sacked Magpies icon Kevin Keegan, put the club up for sale just over a year after arriving and led the club to two relegations to the Championship.
Amid severe supporter backlash, Ashley eventually departed in October 2021 as he banked £300m in a deal with the Saudi-backed Public Investment Fund.
8) £140m - Roman Abramovich for Chelsea
One of the most high-profile takeovers on this list, Russian oligarch Abramovich was a gamechanging arrival in the Premier League after he completed a deal for west London club Chelsea in 2003.
His arrival triggered an heady period in the Blues’ history with the club winning five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups, two Champions Leagues and two Europa League crowns. That success came despite a near constant churn of managers as Abramovich garnered a reputation as one of the most impatient owners when it came to hiring and firing.
After seeing the source of his wealth somewhat questioned over several years, it was Russia ’s invasion of Ukraine which turned a stronger spotlight on Abramovich's assets, which were frozen this April leading to his sale of the club.
7) £200m - Shahid Khan for Fulham
Already the owner of NFL outfit Jacksonville Jaguars, Shahid Khan completed a £200m deal for London outfit Fulham back in 2013 having followed the hugely successful Mohamed Al Fayed.
The Cottagers have transformed into somewhat of a yo-yo club since the former’s arrival having accumulated three relegations and three promotions to the Premier League over the past few years.
Intriguingly, Khan was linked with buying Wembley Stadium in 2018 only for the deal to fall-through.
6) £210m - Sheikh Mansour for Manchester City
Whilst Abramovich’s arrival at Chelsea was a sliding doors moment for English football, Sheikh Mansour and the Abu Dhabi United Group's - later City Football Group - famous takeover of Manchester City saw new challengers emerge to the established elite with a new type of controversial state-backed ownership.
On transfer deadline day in 2008, the new owners sealed a £210m deal for the club and immediately went about splashing the cash with a move for Robinho.
An unprecedented period of spending and success has followed practically ever since with City having claimed 17 major trophies since 2010. That shows no sign of slowing down with Pep Guardiola at the helm following his appointment ahead of the 2016-17 campaign.
=4) £300m - Fenway Sports Group for Liverpool
Having purchased the club from previous owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks back in October 2010, John W. Henry’s FSG have also been pivotal to a period of huge success on Merseyside.
Despite a slow start to their ownership, the arrival of Jurgen Klopp was a masterstroke. The German managed to end the club’s long wait for a Premier League title, whilst having also managed to secure their sixth European crown.
Despite that success, FSG have faced criticism from Liverpool fans for some of their actions during their time in charge, including their involvement in the failed European Super League plot, for which they were among the clubs forced to stage a dramatic u-turn.
Now amid mounting competition from the state-backed clubs, they are open to selling either a portion or all of the Reds.
=4) £300m - PIF for Newcastle United
Having originally expressed their interest in completing a mega-money deal for Newcastle United back in April 2020 before pulling out over a delay regarding the Premier League’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test, the Saudi-backed Public Investment Fund reignited their interest despite ongoings controversies around the country's human right record.
A £300m deal was signed off in October 2021 and the new owners fronted by Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Amanda Staveley immediately committed huge funds to the playing staff. The Magpies then appointed Eddie Howe, with the former Bournemouth boss steering the club away from the threat of relegation.
As it stands, Newcastle sit third in the Premier League standings having enjoyed a stunning start to the new campaign.
3) £731m - Stan Kroenke for Arsenal
Beginning his association with Arsenal back in 2008, American investor Kroenke has continued to acquire an ever-increasing stake since. As it stands, he is the sole owner of the Gunners having spent a total of £731m to acquire a majority stake.
Spending during his early days was relatively conservative with the Gunners still feeling the squeeze of the lucrative move to the Emirates Stadium in 2006. That has steadily increased in the seasons since but Arsenal have not managed to match their success of previous eras with the likes of Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta all being handed the reins.
There has been talk regarding Kroenke selling the club - Spotify CEO Daniel Ek having been strongly linked with a takeover. However, offers have so far not been entertained and the Gunners remain under the ownership of Kroenke, leading to fan unrest.
2) £790m - Glazer family for Manchester United
The Glazer family has been associated with the Red Devils since patriarch Malcolm acquired a 3.17% stake in the club back in 2003, gradually buying out shareholders over the next two years before a takeover in 2005.
Despite initial success on the pitch under the continued stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson, the American owners have garnered huge criticism from fans due to a major lack of development at Old Trafford, the debt they've laden on the club and their role in the European Super League plan.
A number of protests have been staged by fans against the current ownership, whilst a group of supporters known as the ‘Red Knights’ attempted a takeover in 2010 but a deal could not be agreed having failed to reach the Glazers' asking price.
1) £4.25bn - Todd Boehly for Chelsea
The most expensive takeover in Premier League history, American Todd Boehly fronted a £4.25bn deal to acquire the Blues from Abramovich after he was forced to sell.
It is still early days in his ownership of the West London club having only sealed his takeover back in May but it has certainly been a dramatic six months.
He fronted a considerable spending spree in the summer transfer window before making the shock decision to sack Thomas Tuchel in favour of former Brighton schemer Graham Potter.
