Liverpool FC owners hire advisers after Chinese approach Lucrative media rights have drawn international investors to Premier League clubs © Reuters AUGUST 20, 2016 by: Caroline Binham and Arash Massoudi in London and Murad Ahmed in Rio de Janeiro The US owners of Liverpool FC have appointed financial advisers after an unsolicited approach by a consortium led by Chinese investment firm Everbrightand PCP Capital Partners, the private equity firm founded by Amanda Staveley. Fenway Sports Group, led by John W Henry, has hired Allen & Co, the boutique investment bank, to advise on discussions over the acquisition of a substantial stake in one of England’s most storied football clubs, people close to the talks have told the Financial Times. If a deal is agreed, it would be the most significant transaction in a long list of investments from China in European football clubs and comes as President Xi Jinping wants to elevate the status of football in China. While the precise size and valuation of any deal under discussion is unclear, the consortium is understood to be interested in buying a large stake in the club, the people added. The consortium is structured as a partnership between Everbright, a Chinese state-owned financial conglomerate, and Ms Staveley’s PCP. They are being advised by Silk Road Finance. Earlier this week, Liverpool FC chairman Tom Werner insisted to local media that the club was not for sale. However, the FT has learnt that the approach by the consortium is being taken seriously by Fenway Sports, which also owns the Boston Red Sox, the US major league baseball team. Ian Ayre, chief executive of Liverpool FC, said: “We have no comment. There is no bid and we have no ongoing investment discussion of any kind with anyone.” Fenway Sports could not immediately be reached for comment. Ms Staveley declined to comment. Allen & Co declined to comment. According to Deloitte, Liverpool is the world’s ninth richest club by revenues, with a turnover of €391.8m during the 2014/15 season. Its revenues are set to rise this season, as all Premier League clubs will benefit from the first year of the Premier League’s record £5.1bn television deal with Sky and BT. The lucrative media rights deal has drawn a number of international investors to Premier League clubs in recent month as well as the opportunity to push clubs in Asia, particularly China. English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion was acquired this month by Guochuan Lai, a 42-year-old Chinese businessman. In December, a Chinese consortium led by private equity groups China Media Capital and Citic Capital paid $400m for the stake in City Football Group, the parent company of Manchester City, which is owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi. Ms Staveley advised the sheikh when he bought the club over eight years ago. Everbright, meanwhile, alongside a Chinese media company, bought a more than 60 per cent stake in MP & Silva, the Italian sports rights company, in a deal that valued it at just over $1bn. In 2010, Liverpool was acquired for £300m by New England Sports Ventures — subsequently renamed Fenway Sports Group — following a legal fight over the sale with previous owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Mr Henry’s ambition was to re-establish one of England’s most illustrious clubs to the top of the sport. But under his leadership, the club has only once qualified for the Uefa Champions League, Europe’s most prestigious competition that features the continent’s top teams. Under Fenway Sport’s ownership, Liverpool came close to winning the English Premier League the 2013/14 season, ultimately slipping to second place. After a disappointing start to last season, the club replaced manager Northern Irish Brendan Rodgers with former Borussia Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp. Under the command of its new German manager, the team reached the Europa League final, but lost to Sevilla, which meant the club failed to qualify for the Champions League. Sky News earlier reported on the Chinese approach. https://www.ft.com/content/3a4a580a-6701-11e6-ae5b-a7cc5dd5a28c Looks legit if FSG have hired the same firm that dealt with the Chinese investment in Man City. Would FSG sell the club(despite denying they would/will)if the price is right?
Three requirements 1. Build the anfield road end up 2. get the training ground sutuation sorted 3. Buy 6 players and sell 10. Mane was a good buy. This year. MAYBE karius and matip are we cant say yet. But we need the **** show ended and a bit of toughness added.
You should've asked it if it could play LB for us instead of bloody eating it ... you've ruined our season now ... that spring roll had an awesome right foot
What's the crack - the Chinese looking for a minority shareholding with the view of becoming the major shareholder?
That'd be my guess, They've probably looked and seen that FSG aren't ready to sell at the moment but would be at some point in the future. FSG have also discovered that Football is a very expensive business, especially since the Manchester clubs have blow everybody out the water this summer, so another mega-rich backer could be a benefit to them and the club. But who knows? How stable are these Chinese investors?
Errrr....They've categorically denied all this. Said at best they'll consider a minority share in the future if terms are right. They said all this in the last 3 days...said no offers have come in and if they do they'd be binned. So would have to call bullshit on this one.
That will be when our rivals call us Riverpool. You know it's as inevitable as the red socks comments were when we were bought by Americans.
As a temporary solution we can install a big screen in Goodison as overflow attendance. @Tobes assures me they'll be moving to the docks any day now. edit: Actually since we don't play on the same weekends anyway we can start now. edit 2: Sorry forgot Goodison's electrics aren't up to code to support a big TV.
Well said. The day david parry bigged up the cheap little scoreboard stuck up in the corner as a big deal.... jesus wept.
