Reliance Industries chief Mukesh Ambani has reportedly shown interest in buying Premier League football club, Liverpool as the current owners, Fenway Sports Group Holdings, LLC is planning to sell the club for 2.7 billion pounds.
Other than Ambani, LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, and DIC has also shown interest in the football club.
A news report which was first published by an English daily has triggered a flurry of discussions on social media platforms. There has been no confirmation so far from Reliance Industries or Fenway Sports Group.
Mukesh Ambani, who is the chief executive officer of Reliance Industries is currently the 8th richest person in the world with a net worth of 90.7 billion dollars. Reliance Industries is a multinational conglomerate that claims the largest market capitalization in Indian capital markets.
Liverpool Football Club based in Liverpool, London was founded in 1892 by John Houlding. As of 2021, Liverpool FC is 5th most valuable football club in the world with 4,100 million dollars.
Mukesh Ambani who currently owns the Mumbai Indians cricket club in the Indian Premier League was one of the major players in introducing professional club football in India through the Indian Super League. It is also important to note that this is not the first time Ambani has tried to buy a majority stake in Liverpool FC.
During 2009 and 2010, there were reports that the Indian business tycoon was going to purchase a 51 percent stake in the century-old club from its former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Another Indian business magnet Subrata Roy was also behind the takeover attempt by Mukesh Ambani.
This was later denied by a spokesperson for Mukesh Ambani. The then chief executive officer Christian Purslow also denied any such attempts from Ambani. Late that year, Fenway Sports Group went on to buy the football club.
There are also reports that Mukesh Ambani will let Jürgen Klopp continue as the manager and is willing to shell out millions of dollars to rejuvenate the club by making new signings. If the deal goes through and the Indian business magnet becomes the owner of the English club, other football clubs in the premier league will have a tough time matching the financials.
Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have been appointed as bankers for the sale by Fenway Sports Group.
