£5.3bn deal one step closer as Liverpool owners plot final piece of the puzzle

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Liverpool ownership group FSG is one of the most valuable sports empires on the planet and could be about to get even more so.

As well as its majority stake in Liverpool, Fenway Sports Group controls baseball giants Boston Red Sox and NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, as well as stakes in the PGA Tour and a NASCAR franchise.

A recent valuation appraised their sports portfolio as being worth in excess of £10bn, with FSG one of the only ownership groups to feature more than once in a list of the the most valuable sports teams.

Around half of that value comes from Liverpool. Not bad for a club that FSG paid £300m for in 2010.

That means that that John Henry and his peers in the FSG boardroom could achieve almost a 2000 per cent return if they decided to sell the club tomorrow.

Of course, the reality would be a lot more complex than that, as the Glazers discovered when they attempted to sell Man United only for the market to fail to accept their asking price.

Ultimately, that saga ended with Sir Jim Ratcliffe taking a minority stake in United in a move.

Liverpool also sold a minority stake to Dynasty Equity last year, although the American sports-specific investment firm has nowhere near the level of influence as Ratcliffe does at United.

Some of the capital raised from that equity sale may have been intended for the purchase of a new club, with Bordeaux one option that fell through as a potential multi-club affiliate earlier this summer.

And while they will surely attempt to revive their multi-club ambitions at some point in the near future, the latest noises from the world of sports business show that FSG have other big plans too.

• READ MORE: Liverpool chief’s response when asked about secret £250m deal that has already been agreed

FSG want another major takeover

In 2011, NBA legend LeBron James bought a two per cent stake in Liverpool.

He is believed to have made a £35m profit from the conversion of those shares into equity in FSG, in whom he is an influential presence with his business partner, Maverick Carter.

James has made no secret of his desires to one day invest in an NBA franchise and FSG have routinely been linked with either purchasing an existing franchise or an expansion.

The latest research shows that the latter would likely set the Boston-based investment firm back £5.3bn.

Now, as relayed by Liverpool World, James has apparently made clear that he remains keen on remaining in the NBA in an ownership capacity when he retires.

James, who has launched a ranger of merchandise with Liverpool, is hugely independently wealthy but would need the capital of FSG to afford a £5.3bn investment.

After investing in the PGA Tour earlier this year, FSG said they were slowing their acquisitions drive, but an NBA franchise could prove to be the exception.

Liverpool’s multi-club ambitions

The Bordeaux deal didn’t work out but there are a number of other natural fits available for a takeover currently.

Practically all of the 777 Partners network, which includes five prestige clubs worldwide, are up for sale.

There are also a number of candidates in French football, where broad economic problems in the world have depressed the market and created an environment ripe for a bargain.

Liverpool’s owners have also been linked with Brazilian clubs, as well an MLS franchise. Although, those two markets would represent extraordinarily expensive options.