The Boston Red Sox are not going to be sold, and Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group have expressed interest in growing their holdings.
Since it became public at the beginning of November that FSG was considering their long-term options at Liverpool, including a partial sale of the club to a minority partner or a full sale of their shareholding – but only at the right price, north of $4bn (3.3bn), their desire to retain the Red Sox Major League Baseball team has been questioned by some Boston fans and members of the US media.
Since 2002, FSG has been the Red Sox’s owner. During that time, the team has won four World Series (in 2004, 2007, 2013, and 2018).
FSG have owned the Red Sox since 2002, delivering four World Series’ during that time (2004, 2007, 2013, 2018), with the team having endured an 86-year drought on that front prior to the arrival of John Henry, Tom Werner and Co.
The American League East, of which FSG is a member, has become less competitive in recent years, mirroring what has been perceived to be happening at Liverpool. This is due to their more efficient approach to team management, where spending on the product on the field has not been at the level of their rivals. They have also lost important players like Mookie Betts and, most recently, Xander Bogaerts.
When Henry sat down to watch the NHL Winter Classic between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, the latter of which is an FSG-owned team, he was booed by some fans at Fenway Park earlier this month. The cries for the Red Sox ownership to spend more money to retain their best players grew louder by the day.
They reportedly received those calls when they agreed to a $313.5 million, 11-year contract with their star player Rafael Devers, who is seen as someone they can develop their team around for the ensuing ten years. Prior to headway being made over the holiday and new year period, Devers appeared to be leaving Fenway Park, with the Dominican believing the Red Sox respected him enough to pledge his future to them.
Devers had looked to be heading for a Fenway Park exit until headway was made over the Christmas and New Year period, with the Dominican feeling he was valued enough by the Red Sox to commit his playing career to the team.
Liverpool chairman Werner was one of the people in attendance at the news conference that preceded his new contract on Wednesday in Boston to answer queries from the media. Werner or Henry spoke to Boston reporters in public for the first time in nearly three years.
When asked if FSG was considering selling the squad, which Forbes magazine estimated to be worth $3.9 billion, Werner, 72, responded emphatically. Werner informed reporters that there were none whatsoever (via MassLive.com).
“People should be aware that our hearts are also with our fans, even as we put our minds into trying to remedy the last-place finish. John (Henry) and I both age 72. We want to win a lot more World Series over here.
As long as we’re healthy, we’re going to be hopefully improving the stewardship of the Red Sox.
“Our heart and soul is with the Red Sox.”
In November, Werner discussed Liverpool’s issue with the Boston Globe after being approached for comment at the MLB owners conference in New York. There, the chairman of the Reds claimed that there was “no urgency” regarding a sale and that things were “business as usual,” but he also acknowledged that the owners were considering their options regarding the possibility of selling the most valuable asset in their $10 billion portfolio—the one that had also produced the fastest growth returns and the highest return on their initial investment.
According to reliable sources the ECHO has spoken to in the US, FSG prefers to maintain control at Anfield while ceding some of their ownership to a minority partner who can offer some strategic, scalable capital and expertise, which can help them navigate the environment in which they currently find themselves in European football. Henry and some other key partners share this preference.
A handful of sports-specific funds are prepared to invest in the Premier League and European football in 2023 and beyond as valuations improve, albeit more slowly. It will be up to FSG to determine which individuals will make the ideal bedfellows and who will enable them to achieve the best outcomes both on and off the field.
with those two things intrinsically linked for FSG at Liverpool.
The claim that they are not aiming to sell the Red Sox doesn’t actually provide any information about Liverpool’s ultimate goals. FSG has made it clear for some time that they are in “expansion mode” and that expanding their portfolio of sporting assets is a primary priority, particularly in the NBA.
The $4 billion that would likely be required to acquire an NBA expansion franchise, most likely in Las Vegas, is not something that will be a major consideration until the NBA confirms it. Before that happens, a number of obstacles must be overcome, including a new collective bargaining agreement.
FSG has been linked to the NFL, but with valuations typically around $5 billion and, more importantly, with a ban on institutional or private equity investment being a part of ownership groups in America’s biggest sporting league, they won’t be making a play for it collectively anytime soon. FSG has investments from companies like RedBird Capital Partners and Arctos Sports Partners. Henry and Werner may as individuals, but given the desire of FSG to expand, it is quite improbable that such a move would be done.
Although there has been interest in Liverpool, whose sale or investment is being spearheaded by Mike Gordon, Jurgen Klopp’s most important FSG friend, insiders have told the ECHO that “nothing genuine” has arrived and that there have been no high-level negotiations with interested parties as of yet.