Writing in the Sunday Times yesterday, Graham Souness claims that the five year plan of Fenway Sports Group (FSG) at Liverpool is ‘developing the stadium and then hoping someone in the Middle East or Far East comes along to buy the club on the back of next year’s £5bn television deal. They aren’t too bothered about trophies in the cabinet.’
Writing in the Sunday Times yesterday, Graham Souness claims that the five year plan of Fenway Sports Group (FSG) at Liverpool is ‘developing the stadium and then hoping someone in the Middle East or Far East comes along to buy the club on the back of next year’s £5bn television deal. They aren’t too bothered about trophies in the cabinet.’
He comments, ‘The scary thing for me is that Liverpool have become a selling club. There’s been a similar approach at Tottenham and Newcastle, where businessmen have seen these clubs as distressed assets or brands they can add value to.’
There are two counter arguments. First, FSG have been long-term investors in sports franchises in the United States. Second, as we have pointed out in earlier articles, the number of potential buyers for Premier League clubs from the Middle East and Far East has declined.
New manager Jurgen Klopp is not to be as constrained by a transfer committee in the way that Brendan Rodgers was. Klopp has said that he has no issue about working as part of a transfer committee, but he will have ‘the first and last word’ on which players Liverpool buy and sell.
FSG is content to allow Klopp considerable influence on the club’s transfer plans because it believes that his reputation will enable him to attract top class international talent.