Liverpool owner John W Henry says club not for sale but confirms talks with investors

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones during a training session at the AXA Training Centre on Monday, February 20, 2023, ahead of their Champions League last-16 match against Real Madrid. PA

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah trains. PA

Liverpool's Kostas Tsimikas and Mohamed Salah during training. PA

Liverpool's Darwin Nunez and manager Jurgen Klopp at training. PA

Liverpool's Darwin Nunez. PA

Liverpool's Dutch striker Cody Gakpo trains. AFP

Liverpool's Cody Gakpo takes part in a team training session. AFP

Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk. EPA

Liverpool's Brazilian striker Roberto Firmino during training. AFP

Liverpool's Andrew Robertson, centre, and teammates take part in a team training session. AFP

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker. EPA

Liverpool's Roberto Firmino and Fabinho share a joke. AFP

Liverpool's Harvey Elliott at training. Reuters

Liverpool's Cody Gakpo. PA

Liverpool's Harvey Elliott during training. Reuters

Liverpool owner John W Henry has insisted the Premier League club is not for sale but that he is seeking fresh investment in the club.

Henry's Fenway Sports Group (FSG) said in November it would "consider new shareholders" if it was in the best interests of Liverpool.

That sparked speculation that the 19-time English champions were to be put up for sale, though Henry said in an interview published Monday that that was not the case.

"I know there has been a lot of conversation and quotes about LFC [Liverpool Football Club], but I keep to the facts," Henry told the Boston Sports Journal.

"We merely formalised an ongoing process. Will we be in England forever? No. Are we selling LFC? No. Are we talking with investors about LFC? Yes.

"Will something happen there? I believe so, but it won't be a sale. Have we sold anything in the past 20-plus years?"

FSG purchased Liverpool FC for £300 million ($361 million) from previous owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks 13 years ago with the club on the brink of administration.

Under their ownership, Liverpool have restored their place at the top table of English and European football, winning the 2019 Champions League final, claiming a first league title in 30 years the following season as well as adding the league and FA Cup trophies last term.

The club are valued by Forbes at around $4.45 billion, however, FSG have been criticised by fans for a lack of investment in new players this season.

Liverpool sit eighth in the Premier League, 19 points adrift of leaders Arsenal, and are already out of both domestic cup competitions. This follows a 2021/22 campaign in which the Reds were on course for an unprecedented quadruple before being pipped to the league by Manchester City and losing the European Cup final to Real Madrid.

Talk of investing in – or purchasing – Premier League clubs is a growing trend at present, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur the subject of potential takeover bids.

United owners the Glazer family set a deadline of last Friday for interested parties to submit bids and are expected to fetch a world record price for a football club should a sale of the Red Devils be completed in the coming months.

British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani have publicly revealed their interest in United with bids expected to reach around $6 billion.

Chelsea currently hold the record sale for a football club after a consortium led by LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and private equity group Clearlake Capital won a bidding war by paying £2.5 billion for the Blues in May.

Last week, the Financial Times and Reuters both reported that Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi is preparing to launch a $3.75 billion takeover bid of North London club Tottenham.