Finance guru: FSG may now ‘remain in control’ of Liverpool after takeover U-turn
Fenway Sports Group may now want to sell only a minority stake and “remain in control” of Liverpool.
That is the view of finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the latest news from behind the scenes at Anfield.
It was widely presumed that FSG were ready to sell their entire stake in the club after they released a statement to that effect in early November.
Private groups from the United States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have since been linked with a takeover which was likely to value the club at around £4billion.
But as relayed by the Liverpool ECHO on Tuesday (6 December), media in the United States claim that John Henry is in fact more inclined to sell only a part of his stake.
Plumley, who suggested several weeks ago that this might be FSG’s ultimate strategy, claimed that partial investment would have a number of benefits for Liverpool.
“I’ve always thought FSG were looking for partial investment rather than a full sale,” the Sheffield Hallam University expert told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“The merits are that it enables FSG to remain in control if they don’t sell a majority stake. That then allows you to bring other investors in and reduces the risk across their portfolio.
“There are a lot of benefits of this model. It brings in new ideas and new people while giving you a way to carry on growing the club.
“It still might take a little bit of time. I don’t think partial investment will speed up the process much because you still have to have that negotiation.
“But it’s all about spreading risk and this approach makes sense. It’s a smart strategy.“
In other news, ex-Fifa referee claims Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk should be banned as “worst performance in long time” analysed.