Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Andy Hunter

Liverpool not for sale, confirms owner Fenway Sports Group

The Anfield Road stand
Work on the new Anfield Road stand is almost complete. Photograph: Jon Super/AP

John W Henry, Liverpool’s principal owner, has confirmed Fenway Sports Group is not looking to sell the club.

FSG has been open to outside investment in Liverpool for several years and enlisted the investment banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley in a sales presentation for the club in November. The move fuelled speculation that the Boston-based company could sell a majority stake in Liverpool, which it has owned since 2010.

Henry has clarified Liverpool are not for sale and that FSG appointed the two banks to help sound out potential investors. He confirmed the company’s intentions in a rare interview with the Boston Sports Journal before the first day of spring training for the Boston Red Sox, the Major League Baseball franchise that FSG also owns.

Henry was asked by the Journal’s Sean McAdam, in an email exchange, whether he could state with confidence that the Red Sox would not be sold in the near future given FSG’s purchase of the Pittsburgh Penguins ice hockey team and the potential sale of Liverpool.

Henry replied: “Yes. I know there has been a lot of conversation and quotes about LFC, but I keep to the facts: we merely formalized an ongoing process. Will we be in England forever? No. Are we selling LFC? No. Are talking with investors about LFC? Yes. Will something happen there? I believe so, but it won’t be a sale. Have we sold anything in the past 20+ years?”

FSG bought Liverpool for £300m and is close to completing its redevelopment plans for Anfield with a new £80m stand on Anfield Road. FSG sold a 10% stake in the company to RedBird Capital Partners in March 2021 for £543m. It is seeking fresh investment in Liverpool before what is expected to be a summer of significant change for Jürgen Klopp’s team.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.