Liverpool owner John Henry goes on interesting trip amid Liberty Media investment links

It’s set to be an intriguing summer for Liverpool.

All eyes are firmly on the transfer market - with a busy window expected. Indeed, after the Reds’ 4-4 draw against Southampton on the final day of the 2022-23 season, Jurgen Klopp confessed that he hoped a few busy weeks were about to ensue. Several midfielders are set to arrive.

But Kopites will still be keeping a glance on whether there is any movement off the field in terms of investment into the club.

Indeed, it’s approaching seven months since the news broke that Fenway Sports Group (FSG) had put Liverpool on the market. At the time, it was unclear if FSG were looking for a full sale. It has since transpired that the Boston-based company are aiming to sell a minority stake mooted to be around 10-15%.

After parties from the likes of Dubai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia were all initially linked, things have gone fairly quiet on the investment front. Principal owner John Henry told the Liverpool Echo in March that FSG formalised a process that had identified potential investors, it’s all been rather silent.

Given the number of American businesses that are now starting to inject funds into Premier League clubs, it’d be no surprise if additional capital comes from Stateside. FSG would have more than enough connections, after all.

One party that has been linked from the States is Liberty Media. At the start of March, The Telegraph reported that the group could be a contender to invest in Liverpool.

Liberty already have several sporting interests. They have owned MLB team the Atlanta Braves since 2007 - and purchased Formula One from Bernie Eccleston in January 2017 in an $8 billion deal. In January, Forbes named Liberty the most valuable sports empire in the world.

Liberty have made it their mission to expand F1 in America. That’s been achieved successfully via Netflix docu-series Drive to Survive and they now stage three races Stateside each season.

But the traditional venues synonymous in motorsport are still very much on the calendar. Monaco is arguably the most iconic. Winding around the streets against the backdrop of the the French Riviera, the Grand Prix always brings out who’s who of spectators. And last Sunday afternoon, who was in the crown to watch Max Verstappen achieve glory on Sunday afternoon? John Henry.

The FSG chief was indeed spotted at the Circuit de Monaco. What’s more, NHL reporter Elliotte Friedman also confirmed that Henry was at the race as he cited that fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins - another of the teams owned by FSG - would have to wait to see if Kyle Dubas will become their new general manager.

In fairness, it might have just been a coincidence that Henry was in attendance in Monaco. The paddock at every Grand Prix is usually awash with celebrities and powerful business figures. What’s more, Henery and his wife Linda Pizzuti, along with Liverpool chairman Tom Werner, were also present at the Cannes Film Festival so they could well just be on a tour of the south of France.

Even still, it was an interesting to see if anything does come of the excursion between FSG and Liberty.