Investors in Dubai could be eyeing a purchase for Liverpool FC, England’s most successful football club, people familiar with the matter said.
This would be the second time that Dubai has attempted to purchase the club, with a bid in 2007 falling through. Dubai International Capital “almost signed” for a takeover of the club in 2007 for $360 million, the former DIC boss told Arabian Business.
Fenway Sports Group Holdings LLC said that it is working with Goldman Sachs Group and Morgan Stanley as it gauges buyer interest for the club, the people said, asking not to be identified.
“FSG has said before that under the right terms and conditions we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club,” the group said in a statement.
Last year, FSG rejected a GBP3 billion offer from a team of investors in the Middle East, according to media reports.
Besides a buyer from Dubai, other Middle Eastern and American investors have also been pegged as potential buyers, given their strong appetite for exposure to the UK’s Premier League – the world’s richest football league.
The Middle East is already home to several football club owners.
Newcastle United FC was purchased by Saudi Arabia’s giant Public Investment Fund in 2021. Manchester City FC is owned by Abu Dhabi’s City Football Group, purchased in 2008, while Qatar Sports Investments bought Paris Saint-Germain FC in 2011.
The prices for buying football clubs have only continued to increase. In May, Chelsea was sold for $4.9 billion, but some analysts have already predicted that Liverpool could fetch an even higher price.
“The sale of Liverpool could reach in excess of $5 billion, with the club generating over $160 million from its sponsorship deals for the 2022-23 season alone,” said Conrad Wiacek, head of sport analysis at GlobalData.
Liverpool’s Mohammed Salah is also one of the world’s best paid players, with estimated earnings of $53 million this year.
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