‘The opportunity’ - potential Liverpool buyer has already said why takeover from FSG may happen

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) are the latest party reportedly interested in a Liverpool takeover.

Since news emerged that Fenway Sports Group have put the Reds up for sale, several groups have been linked. They include Dubai International Group and Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani.

Now a new American group in HBSE are said to be ‘genuine suitors’. Headed by Joshua Harris and David Blitzer, they already own the NBA franchise Philidelphia 76ers and NHL team New Jersey Devils.

Indeed, they also have a controlling stake in Liverpool’s Premier League rivals Crystal Palace. In December 2015, Harris and Blitzer both purchased an 18% stake each in the Eagles.

Indeed, if Harris and Blitzer were to express concrete interest in an Anfield takeover, they would have to sell their shares in Palace. But that’s something they have been willing to do once previously.

The pair were the principal backers of Sir Martin Broughton’s bid for Chelsea in May before a Todd Boehly-led consortium bought the club off Roman Abramovich. And after that failed takeover, Blitzer has admitted that while he has love for Palace, HBSE couldn’t pass up the opportunity to purchase a ‘global brand’ in Chelsea.

Speaking at a Sportico Invest in Sports conference in New York in October (via Football London), Blitzer said: “At the end of the day, I love Crystal Palace and people who know me well will know I love Crystal Palace. But there are a handful of teams/brands out there on a global basis - and Chelsea is one of them.

“The opportunity to invest in that particular situation with a very small number of people, frankly, given it was a complicated situation, we were comfortable giving that our best shot.

“We would have had to divest our interest in Crystal Palace had that come through. If that had happened it would have been a really sad day in one sense, but again back to the investment part, it would have been a really interesting investment in terms of what’s out there for Chelsea. Then I would have probably had to hide a little bit when I went to London.”