Liverpool enter talks with Saudi Arabian and Qatari consortiums over a potential £3BILLION takeover

REVEALED: Liverpool enter talks with Saudi Arabian and Qatari consortiums over a potential £3BILLION takeover as Fenway Sports Group set the wheels in motion for a sale at Anfield

  • Liverpool’s FSG owners have held talks with two Middle East-based consortiums
  • Sportsmail can reveal Saudi and Qatari chiefs have expressed interest in buying
  • FSG announced their intentions to sell their stake in Liverpool earlier this month
  • Both interested parties are said to be private companies and not state-owned 

Liverpool have held discussions with two Middle East-based consortiums over a £3billion takeover.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that representatives of consortiums from Saudi Arabia and Qatar have expressed an interest in buying the club.

Several sources report that consortium officials have approached Fenway Sports Group director Mike Gordon – the man responsible for the sale of Liverpool – to register their interest.

Liverpool’s FSG owners have held takeover talks with two Middle East-based consortiums

It is understood both groups are private companies rather than state-owned.

However both consortiums are thought to have close links with their country’s ruling families.

Saudi Arabia’s Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal this week encouraged takeover bids for both Liverpool and Manchester United.

Both clubs have been exploring potential sales options over the past month.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that representatives of consortiums from Saudi Arabia and Qatar have expressed an interest in buying the club

The Mail on Sunday has learned that representatives of consortiums from Saudi Arabia and Qatar have expressed an interest in buying the club

FSG announced their intentions to sell their controlling stake in Liverpool earlier this month

FSG announced their intentions to sell their controlling stake in Liverpool earlier this month 

He said: ‘From the private sector, I can’t speak on their behalf, but there is a lot of interest and appetite and there’s a lot of passion about football.

‘We will definitely support it if any [Saudi] private sector comes in, because we know that’s going to reflect positively on sports within the kingdom.’

The kingdom’s state-backed Public Investment Fund (PIF) have already acquired Newcastle United.

Liverpool are also in discussions with a US-based buyer, while Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe and tech-giants Apple have been linked with United bids.

FSG enjoyed great success at Liverpool in recent years, winning Champions League in 2019

FSG enjoyed great success at Liverpool in recent years, winning Champions League in 2019

Sportsmail revealed that Manchester United are confident they can snatch potential buyers from Liverpool in what is expected to become a war for the highest bidder.

Sportsmail understands that those closely involved with the process feel United represent a much more appealing prospect than their old foes because they have a superior global reach.

And by acting now, hot on the heels of Liverpool, they believe the biggest financial names in the market will steer their interest towards Old Trafford rather than Anfield.

Liverpool were valued at £3.89billion by Forbes in May, and it is thought United are expecting more than £5bn, and are hoping for £6-8bn. Chelsea’s sale to a consortium for £2.5bn – with a guarantee of a further £1.75bn investment in the club – has also not gone unnoticed. 

FSG bought Liverpool for £300m off Tom Hicks and George Gillett and have turned the Merseyside club back into one of the foremost football institutions on the planet, ending the club’s 30-year wait for a league title and winning their sixth Champions League as well as reaching two further finals. 

As of May 2022, Forbes valued Liverpool at $4.45billion as one of England's biggest teams

As of May 2022, Forbes valued Liverpool at $4.45billion as one of England’s biggest teams

It is believed the failed attempt to form a part of the European Super League is behind their new-found willingness to sell the club. 

Liverpool were part of a cabal of major European clubs that announced in April 2021 that they planned to break from UEFA to form their own continental competition. The plan, however, was foiled within days not least due to supporters of the English clubs involved staging protests outside of their respective stadiums.

FSG was formed in 2001 and has since enjoyed remarkable success across baseball and football, deploying what has come to be known as the ‘Moneyball’ strategy of recruiting and building teams.