A "historic" decision for Liverpool's ports could play a part in who becomes the next owner of Liverpool Football Club.
Following a Government decision to approve Liverpool City Region's Freeport status, reported by Place North West, where £25m of seeding funding will enable the project to get off the ground and make the port more appealing to international markets, the saga of what happens surrounding the ownership of Liverpool moving forward could play a part.
Specially designated economic zones, Freeports are not subject to the usual tax and customs rules so as to encourage import, export and other commercial activity in the region.
"Today is a historic day for Liverpool and for the whole of UK, as the Liverpool City Region Freeport is officially fully up and running,” said Conservative levelling up minister Dehenna Davison.
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"Liverpool Freeport will be a gateway to international markets, drawing investment into communities that have often been overlooked.
"We are maximising the opportunities of leaving the European Union to drive growth and boost innovation and investment in the UK."
With Middle Eastern money looking towards the Premier League and making either a minority investment play or seeking full takeover opportunities, with both Liverpool and Manchester United ripe for both, there is much more at stake than simply purchasing trophy assets in a bid to improve the world view of certain nations.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have all been pursuing port strategies in recent times as they look to diversify revenues and open themselves up to the world for trade and affording them the opportunity to build global markets. That, with decisions such as the one regarding the LCR Freeport, could play a part in what happens with the ownership at Anfield.
"It is important to note that for the likes of the Qataris there is a carefully curated strategy for national development," Professor Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy at SKEMA Business School in Paris told the ECHO.
"They don't buy football clubs or other such assets unless it serves a purpose for a broader industrial and national development strategy.
"Look at Abu Dhabi with Manchester City. They bought a lot of real estate in Manchester and a lot of that was down to using their ownership of Manchester City to diversify revenue streams for a country, like Qatar, that is so dependent on oil and gas. It accounts for some 70 per cent of the Qatari economy and when oil prices fall they all take a hit. For Abu Dhabi all that real estate gives them an income stream in perpetuity.
"The Liverpool Freeport decision is potentially impactful. Saudi Arabia have a very well developed port strategy where they acquire assets in port cities that allows them to connect the dots with revenue generating income. The PIF (Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund) takeover of Newcastle United wasn't done just by picking any old team. PIF have invested £1bn in a local chemical plant in the North East (SABIC).
"They aren't just trophy assets, that is not the case here. Countries in the Middle East are trying to build global networks of trade and influence and having the anchor of ownership of football clubs in the local area helps in that respect. If someone takes either a controlling or minority stake in Liverpool then you have a local asset that will aid what happens with other local decisions and investments."
Professor Chadwick believes that while Manchester United's status as a global powerhouse has seen many make the assumption that they are the most attractive team on the market, it is Liverpool who may have the most appeal to the Middle East.
"Liverpool is at the edge of Europe, it is a trade hub and a port city and people in Riyadh, Doha and Abu Dhabi will see that," he said.
"Britain is open for business and the Government, like they did with the PIF deal when Boris Johnson was PM, will be encouraging this to happen.
"With PIF, the Tories needed it to happen. They didn't want the Saudis to become disaffected as it had the potential for subsequent contracts that were in place to fall through. Johnson was mindful of the 'red wall' seats and enabling the PIF deal to go through kept them in with some kind of chance in those areas.
"It is much less about managing reputation and these aren't trophy assets, they are strategic ones. Nothing will get done without the say-so of the governments of these countries giving it the green light.
"Owning such assets as Liverpool also provides them with an element of security. Say if Qatar arrive on Merseyside then it will give the UK a reason to care about relations with Qatar and provides the Qataris with an anchor. That could help when it comes to trade deals or when it comes to matters of Qatari national security."
Sources in the US had told the ECHO that while there had been interest in Liverpool there had as yet been "nothing real" and it remains the case that no bids have yet been forthcoming for the Reds. Should someone come in above and beyond the $4bn (£3.3bn) valuation that would meet the requirements of not only John Henry but the major partners in Fenway Sports Group, then a discussion over a full sale could be had.
Pre-World Cup the focus for Qatar was all on the tournament. That has now passed and the focus has switched to what comes next, with Qatar Sports International (QSI), the owners of Paris Saint-Germain, on the lookout for investment opportunities in the Premier League through a minority stake, something that FSG have been seeking.
Also potentially on the radar is Ooredoo, the Qatari telecommunications company that has been linked with the Reds in the past. However, there would potentially be a conflict of interest that would have to be determined given Ooredoo and QSI being linked by their ties to the Qatari state.
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