Ex-Premier League chairman urges Liverpool to follow rivals’ £2.5 billion model for takeover

FSG have this week put the Anfield club up for sale and speculation is rising as to the potential for similar investments to Man City and Newcastle United.
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The big news making the headlines in the Premier League this weekend is Liverpool FC being put up for sale by owners Fenway Sports Group.

John W. Henry and Linda Pizzuti Henry are the owners of Premier League football club LiverpoolJohn W. Henry and Linda Pizzuti Henry are the owners of Premier League football club Liverpool
John W. Henry and Linda Pizzuti Henry are the owners of Premier League football club Liverpool

FSG purchased the Anfield Club from George Gillett and Tom Hicks for £300million in October 2010. The Reds’ owners have been divisive figures during their time in charge, earning praise for many of the significant investments in the club while also coming in for criticism, particularly for their involvement in the failed plans to set up a European Super League in 2021. The big question now though is who could come in and purchase the club and potentially invest significant capital to help the club compete with their mega rich Premier League rivals.

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Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan, who is currently well known for his outspoken opinions during his appearances on TalkSPORT, believes Livrerpool would welcome state ownership, similar to that of Manchester City and Newcastle United, but believes Chelsea’s model is the one they should aspire to.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, he said: “The biggest football club purchase in the history of football has just been bought by a group of Americans. Chelsea exhibit the other end of the spectrum and they’re the ones who started this race to the bottom economically because Roman Abramovic was an individual. He bought Chelsea for his own reasons – maybe the most expensive life insurance policy he ever bought. And he subsequently sold it to private equity guys that now are not nation states.

“They’re looking at football as an economic vehicle for a variety of other things.” Nobody had bought a football club for much more than 700 or 800 million quid and I can’t think of many that have done that. The Glazers [Manchester United owners] – but they leveraged it. Chelsea have been bought for £2.5bn so there’s the example. Newcastle were bought for £300m, Man City were bought by [Thaksin] Shinawatra 14-years ago for nowhere near this. Chelsea are the model, not the nation states.”

Jordan was chairman of Crystal Palace between 2000 and 2010. Since 2018 he has worked for TalkSport as part of the broadcaster’s weekday mid-morning programme White and Jordan alongside Jim White.