Here is your Liverpool morning digest for Thursday, February 16.
Sir Martin Broughton reveals talks with billionaire investors
Sir Martin Broughton has revealed he spoke to members of a consortium of billionaires about potentially investing in Liverpool.
But the former British Airways chairman admits London is generally viewed as a more viable option to those looking to invest in Premier League clubs, despite Reds owners Fenway Sports Group open to offers for either a partial or full sale at Anfield.
Last year, Broughton, whose brief stint as Liverpool chairman in 2010 helped lead to the removal of Tom Hicks and George Gillett as owners, was spearheading a consortium that was in the running to buy Chelsea before it was purchased by the Todd Boehly-led Clearlake Capital group.
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Back in November, it was revealed that FSG, who have been Liverpool's owners since October 2010, are willing to listen to what is on offer and have instructed two major US banks in Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs to see what offers are potentially on the table, having produced a sales presentation for serious interested parties.
When Broughton, who was back at Anfield on Monday night to watch Liverpool defeat Everton 2-0, was aiming to acquire Chelsea last summer he was doing so alongside a consortia featuring former London 2012 Olympics chief Lord Sebastian Coe and the US sports investment firm Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (HBSE), owner of sports teams such as the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's New Jersey Devils, whose co-founders Josh Harris and David Blitzer both hold an 18 per cent stake each in Crystal Palace.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
FSG 'exit plan' is clear as truth emerges on Qatari 'talks' over Liverpool sale
This week saw the 100-day milestone reached for Liverpool since it was first revealed that the club's owners were ready to listen to offers, writes Dave Powell.
The Athletic broke the news back on November 7 that Fenway Sports Group had compiled a sales deck for any interested parties and were ready to listen to expressions of interest over both a full and partial sale of the football club that they have owned since 2010.
In the following days further detail emerged, including that Mike Gordon, the most hands-on member of FSG at Liverpool and a major ally of manager Jurgen Klopp, had been handing the baton in terms of his day to day responsibilities to Reds CEO Billy Hogan while Gordon led the search for inward investment or a full sale, with US investment banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley facilitating the process.
Since then there has been a tidal wave of rumour online about who might be in for the club. From private equity to sovereign wealth funds, those with deep pockets have been linked with a potential move for the club.
The rumour that gathered significant traction online was that of Qatari interest. It came from a place of reason, with Qatar, on the back of hosting the 2022 World Cup in December, wanting to leverage their position in spotlight through investment in sport, investment that would provide the gateway to diversifying revenue streams away from oil and gas.
The granting of freeport status to both Manchester and Liverpool by Government, where tax exemptions make it more attractive for inward investment, made it even more appealing given the fact that Gulf nations had been exploring their own port strategies to aid international trade.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
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