Red Sox Owner Buys Liverpool Football Club

It’s a done deal. English professional football club Liverpool F.C. has been sold to New England Sports Ventures (NESV) who also owns the American baseball team the Boston Red Sox.

The sale was announced through a statement on the Liverpool website in which Liverpool FC club chairman Martin Broughton was quoted as saying:

I am delighted that we have been able to successfully conclude the sale process which has been thorough and extensive. The Board decided to accept NESV’s proposal on the basis that it best met the criteria we set out originally for a suitable new owner. NESV’s philosophy is all about winning and they have fully demonstrated that at Red Sox.

We’ve met them in Boston, London and Liverpool over several weeks and I am immensely impressed with what they have achieved and with their vision for Liverpool Football Club.

By removing the burden of acquisition debt, this offer allows us to focus on investment in the team. I am only disappointed that the owners have tried everything to prevent the deal from happening and that we need to go through legal proceedings in order to complete the sale.

New England Sports Ventures is led by American millionaire John W Henry, who also owns a portfolio of sports-related companies namely: Boston Red Sox, New England Sports Network, Fenway Sports Group and Rousch Fenway Racing.

The sale was not met without controversy as negotiations were opposed by some members of the Liverpool board, namely two Americans; Tom Hicks and George Gillett, according to a report by the Guardian.co.uk.

Liverpool FC’s selling price has been kept private. Last August, Forbes had listed the football club as the sixth most valuable in the world, placing its value at $822m (£532m), less debt.

It has been noted by the football club’s board that the deal would still have to go through Premier League approval, pending the resolution of the dispute concerning Board membership and other matters.

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