John Henry, the owner of Liverpool, has denied that the English powerhouses are up for sale despite wanting more investment for the team.
In November, Henry’s Fenway Sports Group (FSG) declared that, “if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club,” it would “consider new shareholders.”
That led to rumors that Manchester United and the 19-time English champions were both for sale.
“I know there has been a lot of conversation and quotes about LFC (Liverpool Football Club), but I keep to the facts,” Henry told the Boston Sports Journal in an interview published online Monday.
“We merely formalized an ongoing process. Will we be in England forever? No. Are we selling LFC? No. Are we talking with investors about LFC? Yes.
“Will something happen there? I believe so, but it won’t be a sale. Have we sold anything in the past 20-plus years?”
13 years ago, after fellow Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett left the team as it was on the verge of going out of business, FSG, who also owns baseball juggernauts the Boston Red Sox, spent o300 million ($361 million) for Liverpool.
As a result of their ownership, Liverpool has returned to the top of both the English and European game, winning the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League for the first time in 30 years in 2020.
Liverpool is currently valued by Forbes at $4.45 billion.
Fans have, however, criticized FSG for not making enough investments in new players this year.
Liverpool sit eighth in the Premier League, 19 points adrift of leaders Arsenal, and are already out of both domestic cup competitions.
Despite that slump in form, manager Jurgen Klopp has publicly backed the club’s owners.
“We are here in a good position. I know that sounds strange because we didn’t play our best football but in general we are in good hands,” said Klopp last month.
“So we don’t get crazy or whatever. We really know about the responsibility we have and we really try absolutely everything to try to bring us back on track and not worry too much.”
If Manchester United is sold in the upcoming months, the Red Devils are predicted to fetch a record-breaking sum for a football team.
Both Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and British businessman Jim Ratcliffe have publicly expressed interest in purchasing United, with bids anticipated to be in the $6 billion range.
After a bidding war, a group fronted by LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital acquired the Blues for o2.5 billion in May, setting the record price for a football club.
