What does Liverpool’s takeover mean for the future of the club?
Liverpool’s future is uncertain. Performances on the pitch have been suspect and FSG’s decision to sell the club has sparked fresh discourse among fans, who are unsure about their clubs forthcoming. The Athletics’ James Pearce, reporter for Liverpool FC, offers some clarity on a new era on Merseyside.
Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Boxing Day was another step towards patching up an offbeat season for the Reds.
Just hours after the game at Villa Park, Fabrizio Romano issued a ‘here we go’ confirmation that PSV Eindhoven had agreed a deal with Liverpool for the sale of Cody Gakpo. The transfer gave Liverpool’s win over Villa further cause for hope as their tumultuous season looks to get back on course.
Jurgen Klopp’s men were fractions away from securing an unprecedented quadruple last season, yet these days they find themselves 15 points adrift of league leaders Arsenal and submerged in a scrap for Champions League qualification.
Gakpo’s signature, strong links to Jude Bellingham and Enzo Fernández, and FSG’s potential departure on the horizon illuminate Liverpool’s intent off the pitch. Fenway Sports Groups’ (FSG) decision to cut ties with the Reds is a response to the club’s urgent need for funds and players.
Their affluent rivals have prospered this season, and Liverpool need financial backing to prevent falling behind. FSG do not operate on a ‘cash cow’ basis, so their exit, full or partial, is necessary and raises several queries amongst the fanbase.
Will Liverpool’s transfer policy change with a new owner? Will FSG even go for a full sale of the club, or will they look for investment? Will we see Jude Bellingham in Red?
So many questions linger amongst Liverpool’s recent rise in optimism. The Athletics James Pearce is often the primary source of answers for the Anfield faithful, and he spoke to The Sports Gazette about Liverpool’s future ahead of a busy 2023 on Merseyside.
Cody Gakpo’s abrupt signature suggests that FSG’s transfer stance has tilted slightly. Long-term injuries to Diogo Jota and Luis Díaz forced their hand into their pocket to pay for some reinforcements. Liverpool’s fans will be more than pleased with another fine January acquisition but will be hoping for a much larger overhaul from whoever buys into the club.
“It is unknown right now as we don’t know who the owners will be,” James responded to whether Liverpool’s transfer policy would change with new owners. “Will it be one-figure or a hedge fund or a consortium? Even then, there is only so much you can do with FFP rules even though they are not particularly well enforced,” he said.
Given that Liverpool’s main priority is recruitment, the idea of investors seems more viable. In previous attempts to sell the club in 2010, FSG’s stance has always been unequivocal; they would only partially sell. However, James informed us that based on who he has spoken with “that’s different now and they would consider a full sale.”
The prospect of a full sale seems more likely, and James believes Mike Gordan’s decision to step back from his normal duties at the club is a further indication of what is to come. “I thought it was significant the fact that Mike Gordan, the Fenway Sports Group President, has taken a backwards step to oversee the sale. The fact that he has done this, for me, marks the beginning of the end for FSG.”
Julian Ward left his role as sporting director in November after just a few months in charge having replaced Michael Edwards. The club’s Director of Research, Ian Graham, who has been pivotal in Liverpool’s recruitment since 2012, also departed soon after Ward. It sparked concern amongst fans, who James resonates with.
“Liverpool has had Jurgen Klopp for seven years and a relatively settled squad and backroom staff, so I think that it is concerning that there is all this upheaval and uncertainty,” James lamented. “Losing someone of his stature (Ian Graham) is damaging.
Wards swift exit was another concern for fans. “The Julian Ward situation is fascinating. With FSG moving on, Ward feels like he must follow.” According to James, Ward is deemed to have allegiances to FSG and his departure, along with Graham’s, is understandable cause for concern. The process of a takeover is not always rosy, and the departure of key backroom personnel demonstrates that.
So, if everything happening internally with the club hints at new owners, will FSG leave the club in good stead, and would fans be content with success by any means necessary? “I don’t know any Liverpool fans who have the attitude that they don’t care who buys the club as long as they buy us Mbappe,” James joked.
For the most part, Liverpool fans will not stand for an owner who does not have the club’s best interest at heart. Then again, which owner of any top side does these days? Project Big Picture and the European Super League, which FSG partially engineered, have exposed how owners regard their fans.
“When FSG have made bad mistakes at Liverpool in the past they have felt the full force of an angry fan base,” explained James. “FSG will not want all their hard work to be overshadowed by them selling the club to the highest bidder,” he said. That remains to be seen, but given FSG’s track record with Liverpool over the last 13 years, nothing can be taken for granted.
According to James, the cost of Liverpool is “as high as £3.5 billion”, based on conversations he had with finance experts. Given the astronomical asking price, the dream of having someone at the helm who adores the club is a false reality given the free market of the footballing world. All fans can hope for is an owner with deep pockets and an eye for the transfer market.
Players are needed at Anfield for Liverpool to compete with the financial stature of City, Chelsea and now Newcastle. Klopp can’t afford to wait, and he needs reinforcements in the next two to three windows in order to combat their drop in form.
James agrees and explains that “if they are serious about Jude Bellingham and another two midfielders, they will need upwards of £200 million. Their (FSG) current business model does not fit what needs to be done to the squad in the next few windows,” he added.
Jude Bellingham has been the subject of worldwide attraction given his meteoric rise to becoming one of the best midfielders in the world at the age of just 19. Liverpool have been heavily linked with the Borussia Dortmund man, and he is certainly the remedy for Liverpool’s midfield headache.
James thinks a deal can be done but questions where the money will come from. “Does Bellingham want to come? I think everything points to the answer being yes,” he confirmed. The only problem he has is with FSG’s desire to get a deal done. “I can’t see FSG committing to a deal like that while in the process of selling the club,” he remarked.
“In the context of signing Bellingham, it’s important that this uncertainty surrounding the sale does not drag on well into 2023,” he concluded. James also mentioned that he has been informed that it is “business as usual” for FSG in the coming transfer windows. Still, the signing of Gakpo and rumors that Liverpool are not finished in the January transfer window may suggest otherwise.
Uncertainty and ambition is sweeping the streets of Merseyside at the moment. Selling the club is within the best interests of Liverpool’s future, but fans will have understandable concerns over who is next in line to lead their team into a new chapter at Anfield.
