Since Fenway Sports Group confirmed it was looking for investment in the Premier League club, there has been “a lot of interest” in Liverpool.
Sam Kennedy, a partner in FSG and the president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox as well as the president and CEO of Fenway Sports Management, asserts that.
In a recent statement, Liverpool’s ownership group stated that it was looking for outside funding while remaining “fully committed to the success of Liverpool, both on and off the pitch.”
Kennedy also alluded to the possibility of a full sale in comments to The Boston Globe, and reports suggested that FSG was open to the idea as well.
“There has been a lot of interest from numerous potential partners considering investment into the club,” Kennedy said on Wednesday, the first time anyone from FSG has spoken publicly on the matter since reports of a potential sale emerged.
Kennedy insisted that the process will take time to complete even though FSG has hired Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to help with any potential deal.
“It is early days in terms of exploring possibilities for investment into Liverpool,” he said.
“[FSG president and Liverpool director] Mike Gordon has done an extraordinary job of leading the club for the past decade-plus. He will be taking a step back from that role and [CEO] Billy Hogan will be taking on more and more. Billy’s someone we’re particularly proud of in the Red Sox front office, he grew up in our organisation.”
The value of Liverpool has been the subject of much speculation; according to Forbes, the club is worth an estimated £3.78 billion ($4.45 billion).
“Great companies grow by adding value to their business,” added Kennedy. “One way to increase that value from time to time is to sell assets or add investors.
“Does that mean FSG is going to sell Liverpool? I do not know. It’s [principal owner] John Henry’s, [chairman] Tom Werner’s and Mike Gordon’s job to responsibly run Fenway Sports Group and they felt this was an ideal time to explore possible opportunities for investment into the club.”