Liverpool ‘have joined a long list of teams seeking US investment after FSG put the club up for sale

Liverpool are reportedly looking to cash in on the boom of US interest in Premier League teams – but they will not be the only English team seeking lucrative investment from the States following FSG’s decision to sell the club.

The American company, which also owns the Boston Red Sox, made their first move to end their 12-year ownership of the Reds on Monday when they announced they were looking to sell their majority stake in the club.

John W Henry – who owns FSG – has already instructed big banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to begin the process of finding a new buyer, with Todd Boehly’s £4.25billion takeover of Chelsea whetting the appetite of clubs to secure lucrative investment from the States. 

But according to the Telegraph, Liverpool are being rivalled by a number of English sides looking to secure buyers in the US – with Southampton already sending brochures to the desk of Wall Street firms. 

The report says Liverpool and Southampton are just some of the clubs looking to capitalise on the boom of American interest in the Premier League, claiming that the Reds in particular see the US as the best place to invest after enlisting Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to assist in their search. 

Southampton have sent documents to prospective owners in the US with a proposal inviting them to set a borrowing package worth around £80m against the club’s assets – instead of seeking a sell-off of shares – it claims. That is said to have included a £20 million revolving credit facility and £60 million loan. 

They have joined at least one other Premier League club looking at US investors, and another one in the Championship. 

Liverpool – owned by FSG chief John Henry (left) – will be rivalled by a long list of English teams seeking US investment, according to reports  

Liverpool are looking to cash in on the US frenzy after Todd Boehly’s £4.25bn takeover of Chelsea in the summer 

Southampton are said to be one of the English teams who have contacted Wall Street firms  

Brokering company KKR Capital Markets – who helped secure a $650 million (£563 million) loan for City Football Group, which owns Manchester City, urged investors to pounce on ‘lucrative growth opportunities in the Premier League’, the report adds.

A banking insider told the Telegraph: ‘All club owners, whether new or old, now have one eye on the ferocious interest over here [in the US]. It is no surprise that Liverpool’s owners are looking at us, too.’ 

Should Liverpool be sold by a big investor in the US, they can expect a massive sale in the wake of Boehly’s huge outlay to buy Chelsea. Henry – who runs FSG alongside Tom Werner – bought the club for £300m in 2010 and should profit significantly, with an estimate of £4bn for the Anfield club. 

There have already been links from Liverpool to the Ricketts family, who own the Chicago Cubs and were in the running to buy Chelsea in the summer. 

A report from The Times suggested they were in the running to take Liverpool over.

Boehly’s huge takeover has whetted the appetitie of English clubs to seek US investment

The Ricketts family – led by Tom Ricketts (right) – have been linked with an offer for Liverpool 

FSG paid £300m for Liverpool in 2010 and stand to make a healthy profit on their investment

The Ricketts family, which is worth an estimated $3.7billion, according to Forbes, reached success after family patriarch Joe Ricketts founded the brokerage firm TD Ameritrade in 1975. As of 2019, the 81-year-old has a net worth of $2.7 billion, according to Forbes. 

In a statement explaining their reasons for selling, FSG said: ‘There have been a number of recent changes of ownership and rumours of changes in ownership at EPL clubs and inevitably we are asked regularly about Fenway Sports Group’s ownership in Liverpool.

‘FSG has frequently received expressions of interest from third parties seeking to become shareholders in Liverpool. FSG has said before that under the right terms and conditions, we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club.

‘FSG remains fully committed to the success of Liverpool, both on and off the pitch.’

It is believed that the backlash towards FSG for their involvement in the European Super League and Boehly huge takeover of Chelsea were two factors in their decision to sell Liverpool.