Liverpool owners FSG ‘have received a lot of interest from potential investors’

Liverpool owner FSG has taken ‘a lot of interest’ in the Premier League club, revealed Sam Kennedy, a partner in the firm.

FSG confirmed last week that it had hired Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to sell its stake in the Premier League club.

A US-based buyer approached the company interested in a full takeover of the club and Anfield leaders have been in secret talks for several weeks, Sportsmail reported.

However, Kennedy has suggested that the owners are exploring options for the club’s future and may be looking for more investment rather than a full sale.

He also revealed that numerous potential partners are already interested in investing in the Reds.

“There is a lot of interest from many potential partners considering an investment in the club,” Kennedy said The Boston Globe.

Kennedy is also the current CEO and president of the FSG-owned Boston Red Sox, and previously served as president of Fenway Sports Management.

“It is still early days in terms of exploring options for potential investment in Liverpool.”

The news that FSG is considering a sale comes five months after Los Angeles Dodgers owner Todd Boehly’s consortium completed the purchase of Chelsea.

“Great companies grow by adding value to their business,” Kennedy added. One way to increase that value from time to time is to sell assets or add investors. Does this mean FSG will sell Liverpool? I don’t know.

“John Henry, Tom Werner and Mike Gordon are responsible for leading the Fenway Sports Group in a responsible manner and they felt this was an ideal time to explore potential investment opportunities in the club.”

Sportsmail reported that FSG hired Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to help them sell the club after approaching a potential buyer in the US.

Sources have reported that more potential buyers have since expressed their interest.

Some reports have suggested Liverpool’s price tag could be as high as £4 billion ($4.7 billion), not least because Roman Abramovich sold Chelsea for £2.5 billion ($3 billion), and Liverpool is seen as a much larger global brand.

But the Mail on Sunday can reveal that people close to the negotiations claim FSG would be ready to sell for £2.7bn ($3bn). That would still be a huge profit on the £300 million ($355 million) they paid in 2010, even factoring in several hundred million pounds of investment in stadium expansion and training ground development.

The £4bn ($4.7bn) figure was encouraged by those close to the sales process, hoping that bidders would come up with offers between £3bn ($3.5bn) and £3.5bn ($4 billion) and think they got a bargain at that price.

While the identity of the bidder remains a mystery, LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Boston Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca have been linked to the club. The Ricketts family who withdrew from bidding for Chelsea at the 11th hour would not be interested in Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Dubai International Capital could “spy a deal” to buy the club, according to reports in the Middle East. DIC failed to buy the club in 2007 after a bid of £312 million.

Liverpool managing director Mike Gordon is about to step back with CEO Billy Hogan to take more responsibility for operations.

According to him, Gordon will now focus on a possible sale of Liverpool The athletic.

“Mike Gordon has run the club extremely well over the last 10 years,” Kennedy said.

“He will step back from that role and Billy Hogan will take on more and more. Billy is someone we are very proud of in the Red Sox front office, he grew up in our organization.”