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Liverpool are hoping to challenge for the Premiership title in the coming season, but there has not been quite the mass injection of funds for players that was hinted at when the new owners took over. Given that Liverpool have recouped £24.4m from the sale of five players, their net outlay is likely to be in the region of £11m. That is some way short of last summer's net cost of about £19m and is dwarfed by the £32.2m that Liverpool earned through television revenue, match and performance bonuses for reaching the Champions League final last season, quite apart from the £28.4m in television and merit payments for finishing third in the Premiership. With the Premiership's new global £2.73bn television contract kicking in this season, Liverpool can expect a 60 per cent increase on last season's returns if they finish third again and stand to earn as much as £50m if they win the title. Owners George Gillett Jr. and Tom Hicks have committed millions to long-term contracts for the likes of Steven Gerard which will cost £30m extra over the next four to five years. The £215m plus needed to build the new stadium at Stanley Park was also identified as being in place when the club was bought in February. The quest for success will be balanced against ensuring that the franchise earns an acceptable return.
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