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Jamie Carragher was “surprised” by Fenway Sports Group’s (FSG) announcement it “would consider” new investment at Liverpool, but Gary Neville believes a “sale makes sense”.
The Athletic reported on Monday that FSG is “inviting offers” for potential new owners of the Reds, although the Boston-based company later said it was “fully committed” to the club.
The developments came as a shock to Liverpool great Carragher, even if he understands why FSG could be willing to listen to offers.
“I am surprised,” Carragher said on the latest episode of Sky Sports’ The Overlap. “How strong it is in terms of selling fully or trying to bring money into the club, I’m not sure.
“I just thought that with so many American owners coming into the league, I thought there was a power play in some ways where they could see something in the future given what we’ve seen in American sports, so I thought the owners would be here for a while.
“Maybe they woke up on Monday morning and read about how much Manchester City have made commercially and thought, ‘you can’t stop it, can you?!'”
FSG has come under increasing pressure in recent years, despite Liverpool’s achievements since Jurgen Klopp’s appointment in 2015, during which time they have won the Champions League and the club’s first league title in 30 years.
John W. Henry, FSG’s principal owner, was heavily criticised for his role in the club’s attempts to join the failed European Super League, while a perceived unwillingness to invest in the playing squad has been blamed by some for their poor start to this season.
But Carragher believes FSG’s tenure has been a success, adding: “I think FSG have done a great job at the club, and I don’t think they’ve ever proclaimed to have the funds of Manchester United, Chelsea or Manchester City.
“They were the owners who brought the title back, the owners who brought Jurgen Klopp, the stadium has been transformed, the training ground has been transformed. They’ve almost been a model for clubs like Arsenal.
“Will the club ever be valued as highly as it is right now again? With Klopp as the manager and the team having been so successful over the last few years? Maybe there’s something in that.”
Neville thinks now might be the right time for FSG to sell up, explaining: “I think the Liverpool sale makes sense.
“FSG haven’t got the money to compete with the other top teams in the league, they’ve already developed the stadium, they’ve got Jurgen Klopp, and it’s now a case of for how long is he going to be around for? Two or three years?
“They certainly can’t compete financially with some of the other clubs in the league, so I don’t think it’s as big a surprise when you look at some of the evidence.”
