Kieran Maguire makes ‘dramatic’ Liverpool wage reveal amid FFP development
Liverpool are unlikely to break Uefa’s new model of financial fair play because of their revenue-led approach to spending.
So says finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about proposed changes to the governing body’s spending model.
The Telegraph reported on 19 August that Uefa plan to introduce a spending ceiling and ‘luxury tax’ for those clubs that exceed it.
Under the current FFP system, clubs are permitted to lose £105million over a rolling three-year window.
Maguire revealed that Liverpool’s wage bill has rocketed in recent years but that they remain unlikely to see their spending reined in by Uefa.
He told Football Insider correspondent Adam Williams: “If we look at their position financially, they are a lean machine.
“I think some clubs will get pretty close to this upper limit, but I don’t think Liverpool will be one.
“Their wages to income, with the exception of the odd year, has always been under 70 per cent every year since 2013. They tend to be closer to 60 per cent.
“They have invested significantly. The average wage went from £96,000-a-week in 2017 to £144,000-a-week two years later. That’s pretty dramatic.
“But their wages to income rate didn’t rise because it’s a hugely incentivised wage structure in terms of delivering on the Champions League et cetera.
“The broadcast income went up by £100m, commercial income was up by £50m, they have the expansion of the stadium too.
“As a business, they’re willing to pay more money out but only if more revenue comes in. It’s revenue-led, which is the way that football should be run.“
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