Liverpool takeover outlined as four buyers linked and FSG message to Jurgen Klopp ‘revealed’

It’s been exactly one week since news emerge that Liverpool have been put up for sale by Fenway Sports Group.

FSG have owned the Reds since 2010, having purchased the club from Tom Hicks and George Gillett. And having overseen Liverpool return to the European elite - with the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, two League Cups, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup all being won - the American group are now ready to sell at least some of their stake.

A possible Anfield takeover - mooted at a possible £4 billion - has dominated the headlines since. With that in mind, we look back at what has happened regarding a possible takeover in the past seven days.

Monday 7 November

Around lunchtime, The Athletic broke the news that FSG have put Liverpool up for sale.

It was reported that the Reds had acquired the services of global investment banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to assist with the process.

A statement from FSG said: "There have been a number of recent changes of ownership and rumours of changes in ownership at EPL clubs and inevitably we are asked regularly about Fenway Sports Group’s ownership in Liverpool.

“FSG has frequently received expressions of interest from third parties seeking to become shareholders in Liverpool. FSG has said before that under the right terms and conditions we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club.

“FSG remains fully committed to the success of Liverpool, both on and off the pitch.”

Tuesday 8 November

Ahead of Liverpool's Carabao Cup clash against Derby County, assistant manager Pep Lijnders took pre-match media duties. Unsurprisingly, a significant portion of the press conference revolved around a potential takeover.

Lijnders said: “First of all, everybody who saw us in the last years, everybody who realised who we are as a club, know we have a strong relationship with the owners. We knew before, of course. We knew about the statement, nothing more than you guys knew.

“What I would like to say is I always know the owners act in the best interest of the club and they always did. I believe they always tried, at least. This relationship was very important for us.

“I think the statement was very clear. How did it distract us? To be honest, this is what I like about our club, we are so focused.

“There was a small discussion, a little bit of talk between Jurgen and me, but from that moment on, we start focusing.

“You are just speculating [on club future]. I think the statement was clear, it’s nothing new for a club to find new investors, it’s nothing new that a club tries to find investors."

Later on in the evening, Sir Jim Ratcliffe ruled himself out of buying Liverpool.

Britain's richest man had been involved in a takeover of Chelsea before a Todd Boehly-led consortium purchased the club.

Ratcliffe had also been keen on buying Manchester United. A spokesman for Ratcliffe told The Telegraph: Our position has developed since the summer and we are now focusing our efforts in Nice and raising our ambitions for the club to make them into a top-tier club in France to compete with PSG.

“This would represent much better value for our investment than buying one of the top-tier Premier League clubs.”

In addition, another party who'd been interested in Chelsea - the Ricketts family - also confirmed they were not in the race.

Wednesday 9 November

It wasn't long until expected rumours of interest from the Middle East emerged.

Arabian Business claimed that Dubai International Capital could be 'eyeing up' a bid. They had previously been interested in 2007 before Hicks and Gillett took charge.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp addressed the media after Liverpool's defeat of Derby at his post-match press conference.

He said: “For me, it's just important that while this process, whatever it is, is happening is that we just keep going and planning. What will be, whatever will happen, these things take time.

“I'm not an expert in this but whenever it will happen and someone comes in or whatever, until then a lot of things can happen in that time and we have to keep going not only football-wise but in between as well. I will make sure that will be the case and that's all.

“In the moment, nothing happened, it's just news and nobody had a heart attack when we got the news and thought: "Oh my god, how can we carry on". It's a decision and that's fine.

“We work really close together with FSG, it's a great relationship, was a great relationship until now, it will not change and whatever happens, we will deal with it.”

Thursday 10 November

Liverpool's principal owner John Henry is linked with a possible takeover of NFL franchise the Washington Commanders.

A source told the New York Post that a sale of the Reds may be a precursor for buying the Commanders.

The newspaper reported: “This may be a precursor to him buying the Commanders. John wants to own an NFL team. They will look at the Commanders.”

Friday 11 November

Klopp addresses a possible takeover at length during his press conference ahead of Liverpool's Premier League fixture against Southampton.

He welcomed possible new investment into the club to help with transfers.

Klopp said: “In the structure we had we were obviously able to spend money but we always had to look and say: ‘What did we earn?’” he said. “That was always the situation. The two biggest transfers we did in the past with Ali [Alisson] and Virg [Virgil van Dijk], we all know how it happened. We got some money from Barcelona [£142m for Philippe Coutinho] and spent it wisely, I would say.

“How we did it so far brought us to where we are, fine, but fresh money is no mistake, let me say it like this. “Nothing gets cheaper. There is the inflation rate for all of us and in football as well. Sometimes you have to spend.

“We are really happy, really happy, to give all our young kids a chance. I am so positive about the impact they will have in the future whenever that starts. Like Harvey [Elliott] now, Stefan [Bajcetic], Calvin [Ramsay], Ben Doak, Bobby Clark – really interesting. They all are. But from time to time you have to throw in proven quality. And in an ideal world, they are young as well and not 35.

“From time to time you have to take some risk and we will see. I have no idea what will happen but I am positive about it. If in the end, it is not positive, then I can start worrying, but I just think everything will be fine.”

Saturday 12 November

After the 3-1 victory over Southampton, it was reported by The Mirror that Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani was interested in buying Liverpool.

Ambani has a fortune estimated at $90 billion. He already owns Indian Premier League cricket team the Mumbai Indians, as well as founded the Indian Super League football division.

Sunday 13 November

David Ornstein, who broke the story for The Athletic about Liverpool being up for sale, told Sky Sports that Klopp had been given reassurances by FSG that they’ll only hand over the club ‘to the right people’.

Ornstein said: “Klopp has just signed a new long-term contract and from what we hear, he’s been reassured by the ownership that they’re not going to do this rapidly. They’re going to do it – if it happens – to the right people.

“And therefore, I think they’d have that moral compass as well. I don’t think FSG will want to pass Liverpool into hands they’re not happy with.

“We already hear rumours within the industry that they’ve rejected approaches, or they’re not keen to go forward with expressions of interest from parties that they perhaps don’t feel are the right route. And by that, many people would assume a nation-state.”