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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Samuel Meade

Liverpool takeover: FSG chief makes "extraordinary" admission and drops hint on Reds plans

Fenway Sports Group chief executive Sam Kennedy is unsure about whether investment into Liverpool will arrive amid uncertainty over the ownership at Anfield.

The Premier League club announced in November that they were on the look out for a cash injection, with a complete sale also touted as a possibility. Liverpool have engaged US banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to begin the search as seek new investment.

Liverpool are attempting to keep pace with both Manchester clubs and Chelsea from a financial point of view. The Blues were recently bought by an American consortium and have spent huge sums after their sale price of more than £4bn turned heads.

Questions are now being asked about the market and the legitimacy of that figure but Kennedy remains on the fence about whether or not Liverpool will be able to attract investment.

He told the Private Equity Deals Podcast with Capital Allocators : "We did a while back engage investment banks, we've been open about that. We've been open in our willingness to take on investment into the club, will it happen or not, I don't know. But we share a common vision with all of our partners and that is long-term.

"John (Henry, FSG principal) and Tom (Werner, Liverpool chairman) have been at this for 21 years but you would think they had been at it for 21 days. They are enthusiastic and excited for everything at Fenway Sports Group and think about what's next.

"We do focus a lot on ways that we can help increase revenues (at Liverpool) and the growth we've seen over in Liverpool has been extraordinary, and I think that's because markets like the United States are just sort of catching on to the excitement around this league. We'll see what the future holds for Liverpool but it's been an amazing business."

Liverpool's owners are seeking some financial investment (Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Sources in the US maintain that FSG's preference for Liverpool is to attract a minority shareholder, rather than sell the club. The group have enjoyed huge success through their tenure, hiring Jurgen Klopp, who went on to deliver a first ever Premier League title.

However they do not have the capacity to match the European heavyweights in the market and Klopp has accepted they need to seek greater financial power. He said: "I can't see investment stopping in the future and that means we have to do it as well. We don't talk about now because it's always slightly different, but in general. I believe in coaching, I believe in developing, I believe in team-building and using those things 100%.

"But meanwhile in the world out there the managers are really good, there are so many good managers out there it's crazy. So they believe in that as well, and if they start really properly spending and do those things as well, then you cannot not spend or you will have a little bit of a problem."

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