MY ACCOUNT
There has been “a lot of interest” in Liverpool since owners Fenway Sports Group confirmed it was looking for investment in the Premier League club.
That is the claim from FSG partner Sam Kennedy, who is also the president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox and chief executive of Fenway Sports Management.
Liverpool’s ownership group recently released a statement saying it was seeking outside investment, but remained “fully committed to the success of Liverpool, both on and off the pitch.”
Reports suggested FSG was also open to the idea of a full sale, something that Kennedy also alluded to in comments to The Boston Globe.
“There has been a lot of interest from numerous potential partners considering investment into the club,” Kennedy said on Wednesday, the first time anyone from FSG has spoken publicly on the matter since reports of a potential sale emerged.
FSG has employed financial services Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs to assist with any possible deal, but Kennedy insisted it is not a process that will come to a conclusion quickly.
“It is early days in terms of exploring possibilities for investment into Liverpool,” he said.
“[FSG president and Liverpool director] Mike Gordon has done an extraordinary job of leading the club for the past decade-plus. He will be taking a step back from that role and [CEO] Billy Hogan will be taking on more and more. Billy’s someone we’re particularly proud of in the Red Sox front office, he grew up in our organisation.”
Speculation has been rife as to who could invest in or even purchase Liverpool, with the club having an estimated value of £3.78billion ($4.45bn) according to Forbes.
“Great companies grow by adding value to their business,” added Kennedy. “One way to increase that value from time to time is to sell assets or add investors.
“Does that mean FSG is going to sell Liverpool? I do not know. It’s [principal owner] John Henry’s, [chairman] Tom Werner’s and Mike Gordon’s job to responsibly run Fenway Sports Group and they felt this was an ideal time to explore possible opportunities for investment into the club.”
