Liverpool and China Everbright: The six key questions surrounding Reds investment talk13:45, 21 AUG 2016 UPDATED 11:57, 22 AUG 2016
BY NEIL JONES
Who are these people? Why would they want to buy Liverpool? And what happens now?
Within hours of the final whistle at Turf Moor, Liverpool fans’ moods were switched from anger to intrigue.
Defeat at Burnley had them fuming, but reports of potential investment from China certainly piqued supporters’ interest.
A story in the Sunday Times claimed that China Everbright, a state-backed financial giant, was spearheading an attempt to buy the club from current owners Fenway Sports Group, and that they had valued Liverpool at £800m.
It was also reported by the Financial Times that FSG had hired Allen and Co, a boutique investment bank, to advise on discussions over the sale of a “substantial stake” in the club.
These claims were swiftly dismissed by senior FSG executives , who are adamant that they have received no bids and that there are no ongoing discussions about selling a stake in Liverpool.
Reds chairman Tom Werner told the ECHO earlier this week that the club was “not for sale”, and FSG insist that is still the case. Speculation over interest from China, though, is unlikely to go away.Could they come in as minority stakeholders?The possibility is certainly there.
Tom Werner confirmed to the ECHO that FSG were open to the idea of selling a minority stake in the club in return for the right investment. He did, however, claim there’s currently no such offer on the table and stated that “if someone wants to write us a letter saying they want to buy the club then it will get put in the garbage.
The Sunday Times report raises the possibility that John W Henry, Liverpool’s principal owner, could retain a majority stake, with the Chinese becoming minority partners.
What happens now?
That’s the billion-dollar question. FSG’s swift denial of the story makes things interesting, with sources close to Everbright adamant that there is interest from China.
We’ve seen numerous rumours of Liverpool takeover bids in the past, without anything coming to fruition. Even the Sunday Times article stated that a “well-placed source” had warned that any potential deal was still some way off.
For supporters, it may simply be a case of wait and see – as frustrating as that may sound.http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-china-everbright-six-key-11779188