Journalist drops major Liverpool sale update as Qatari takeover stance revealed

A journalist has dropped a significant update on Fenway Sports Group’s attempts to sell Liverpool, amid reports Qatar is interested in the Premier League club.

In November Liverpool owners FSG stunned the football and financial world by announcing they were seeking new shareholders for the club.

In a statement, the Americans said that under the right conditions they “would consider new shareholders” though, they “remained fully committed to the success of Liverpool, both on and off the pitch."

There have since been several prospective buyers linked to the Merseyside club, from European consortiums to oil-rich states.

Indeed Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund (QSI), which has a majority stake in French giants Paris Saint-Germain, has been linked with a move for Liverpool.

Qatari journalist Mohammed Saeed Alkaabi claimed earlier this month that the Gulf state had prioritised the acquisition of the Reds.

The Athletic’s Adam Crafton has since given an update on reports linking Qatar with Liverpool.

Qatar’s Liverpool interest dismissed

Crafton dismissed Qatar’s interest in Liverpool as “speculation”. The journalist claimed that QSI was not pursuing the Reds at present.

He added that Qatar has a watching brief on Manchester United, who have also been put up for sale, though it is currently an “evolving situation”.

However, Qatar reportedly expects a consortium from Saudi Arabia to swoop in for the Old Trafford club, despite the Saudi Public Investment Fund already owning Premier League rivals Newcastle United.

British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who went public with his interest in United last week, is also allegedly seen as a credible rival to the Gulf states while further bids are expected from the world of private equity and tech.

In turn, the report claims Tottenham Hotspur remain the club most likely to benefit from Qatari investment in future.

In the first week of January PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi allegedly met with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy for exploratory conversations, including a possible minority investment in the club.

On the agenda was reportedly a possible minority investment into Spurs by Qatar, with percentages of up to 15 per cent on the table. The north London club have denied such a meeting took place.