Interesting timing....
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Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have turned down a takeover bid of £3bn for the club, according to reports.
The offer, understood to have come from the Middle East, was made to FSG prior to the announcement on Sunday night that principal owner John W. Henry had been involved in talks to take Liverpool into the ill-fated European Super League, report the ECHO's sister paper The Mirror.
Despite lost revenue in excess of £100m at Anfield as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the offer to buy the club was rejected by the Liverpool owners.
The Mirror also claim that following anger aimed at FSG in the wake of the failed Super League plot there are other potential bidders waiting in the wings to see if the stance of Henry and Liverpool chairman Tom Werner changes as a result of the enormous criticism they face.
Liverpool fans, along with supporters of the other five Premier League clubs who had sought to form the new competition, made their feelings on FSG dragging the Reds into the conversation abundantly clear, with banners unfurled outside Anfield and protests from fans making it clear to the American owners that it was something they did not want.
FSG have had a strained relationship with Liverpool fans in recent months and have been criticised for putting money over success when it comes to spending in the transfer market, with the Reds forking out much less than their rivals.
FSG took charge of Liverpool in 2010, buying the club for around £300m to end the reign of the deeply unpopular Tom Hicks and George Gillett at Anfield, the American duo having left the Reds on a financial cliff edge by the time their exit arrived.
The Reds have been turned into a profitable business valued at £2bn most recently, and the hiring of Jurgen Klopp in 2015 has seen them claim silverware in the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020 - their first English league title in 30 years.
But with the pandemic biting hard, FSG sought outside investment to press ahead with their plans for growth and only last month sold 11 per cent of their business to Gerry Cardinale's RedBird Capital Partners for £538m.
The ECHO understands that FSG aren't looking to sell the club, even in the wake of the failed Super League plan, and Werner stated earlier this month that it would take an 'insane offer' for them to sell up.
But, given the backlash, they may be more open to offers than they were a couple of weeks ago, although they will be hoping that the ire will subside somewhat in time and that they can press ahead with plans that include further Anfield redevelopment and adding further clubs to their sporting portfolio, looking specifically at other European clubs.
The very public apology from Henry on Wednesday may have helped take some of the sting out of the anger but the division is very real after such a poorly judged move from the Liverpool owners, and Reds fans are unlikely to be in forgiving mood any time soon after the club was embarrassed on the global stage.
"I am the Normal One."
Interesting timing....
Valued at 2bn yet wouldnt sell at 3bn? What exactly would it take.
ESL. Don’t people get it yet...?
They ain’t selling until the ESL or an equivalent is completely off the table for good. This is what was always the plan from the off. If they can get that - it’s tens of billions and pretty much never ending.
Doesn't matter anyway we've got away nights in the europa in russia with Almiron to look forward too
Don't need anyone with money that'll spend it, ha fuck that init, almost as plastic as those clubs trying for a super league.....oh.. oh wait yea.
I don't want any middle eastern club taking over LFC. I find it to be untrustworthy.. We need know what happens at Man-City.. their owners are shady.And i dont care how much money they will spend on us.. FSG have done an half decent job. apart from several stuff thats stunk the place out.. we need to find more investment and move on from there.
Cleaning up the Scots since the 13th century
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