Fenway Sports Group have signalled their intent to potentially sell Liverpool.
A report in The Athletic on Monday claimed that FSG, who are led by John W. Henry, have “put Liverpool up for sale”, a little over 12 years since their takeover. The American group, then named New England Sports Ventures, purchased the club in October 2010.
Influential American business publication Forbes now suggests the club are worth £3.6billion. Soon after the reports, FSG issued a statement to the ECHO outlining their current stance regarding the ownership of Liverpool.
OWNERSHIP NEWS: FSG statement as Liverpool 'put up for sale'
LIVE UPDATES: Latest on FSG situation and potential Liverpool sale
But what more do we know about Liverpool's owners?
Who is Liverpool F.C. owned by?
Fenway Sports Group are the current owners of Liverpool Football Club. They purchased the club in October 2010 from Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
Last month marked 12 years since the American group bought the club. John W. Henry is the principal owner, while Tom Werner is the chairman of the club, with the pair being part of the original group in the takeover in 2010.
Billy Hogan, the club’s current chief executive, has been in his current position since 2020, following the departure of Peter Moores.
What does FSG stand for in football?
FSG stands for Fenway Sports Group, who are the official owners of Liverpool Football Club.
The American group, based in Boston, Massachusetts, were formerly known as New England Sports Ventures. This was their official name back in 2010 when they completed their takeover of Liverpool.
How much did FSG buy Liverpool for?
Fenway Sports Group purchased Liverpool in October 2010 from Tom Hicks and George Gillett. The American group paid £300m to acquire the club 12 years ago.
Influential American business publication Forbes has placed Liverpool’s current valuation at around £3.6billion. That marks a 1200% increase over the course of FSG’s reign at the helm of the Anfield club.
What does FSG do for Liverpool?
As owners of Liverpool, FSG are responsible for the day to day running of the club and financing of the whole operation. Everything from balancing the books, sanctioning funds for potential transfers, as well as overseeing the appointment of key vacancies within the club.
More recently, FSG sanctioned the expansion of the Anfield Road stand, which will increase the capacity of Liverpool’s home stadium up to 61,000 seats. The project has cost £80m, and is the third major investment from the owners into the club since their takeover.
The first was the Main Stand expansion, which was completed in 2016 and cost the owners around £110m. Then came the building of the new AXA Training Centre, which opened in 2020 and cost £50m.
What is FSG group?
Fenway Sports Group is an investment and real estate company which owns some of the biggest clubs in the world across three major sports.
Liverpool Football Club came under their ownership in 2010, after spending £300m to acquire the club from Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
FSG also own Major League Baseball giants the Boston Red Sox, as well as National Hockey League outfit the Pittsburgh Penguins.
What percentage of Liverpool F.C. does LeBron James own?
Basketball icon LeBron James holds a small stake in Liverpool. The NBA legend, who is also a big Reds supporter, acquired a stake in the club back in 2011.
James acquitted a two per cent stake in the club, which was worth around £4.7m at the time. Over the course of a decade, that valuation increased to £37m in March 2021.
However, that changed last year when James switched his 2 per cent stake in Liverpool to a one per cent holding in FSG’s overall empire. James' stake in FSG is now worth an estimated $90m (£71.6m) and sees him as a minority partner in the group that owns Liverpool.
Does John Henry own Liverpool?
John W. Henry does not own Liverpool outright on his own. His official title is principal owner, which he also uses for FSG which he founded back in 2001.
Tom Werner is also a key figure in the running of FSG, with his title at Liverpool being chairman since the takeover 12 years ago.
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