Report: John Henry is at odds with FSG shareholders over his plan for Liverpool

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John Henry isn’t entirely on the same page as some FSG shareholders over a Liverpool sale, according to reports. Things keep getting more complex.

This comes from the Liverpool Echo. They claim that John Henry isn’t necessarily on the same page as some FSG shareholders with Liverpool.

It has been widely reported that Henry now doesn’t want to sell Liverpool. He’d happily sell a minority investment in the club, perhaps to increase transfer funds, but is in no rush to sell outright.

The Echo agree with that but they suggest that some minority shareholders in FSG would be happier with a full sale. Not everyone is one the same page, it seems.

Henry owns 40 per cent of FSG, meaning he wields a lot of the power. Mike Gordon and RedBird capital own 12 per cent and 11 per cent respectively. None else owns more than 10.

Thus unless there’s near-unanimous opposition to Henry, what he says goes. If he doesn’t want to sell Liverpool, FSG won’t sell it. It’s as simple as that.

It sounds, however, as though there might be a little bit of pressure on him to change his mind.

John Henry and FSG on Liverpool sale

A minority sale seems inevitable at this point, in all honesty. In fact, we imagine that was the plan from the start because the idea of selling the club entirely wasn’t supposed to go public.

Liverpool released a statement saying they were testing the waters for a sale. Never, though, did they suggest the entirety of the club could change hands.

And so Henry will almost certainly get his wish. The Echo’s report suggests no talks with anyone are at an advanced stage, meaning nothing happens soon. But the right partner for a minority investment is almost certainly out there.

Someone with the capital to buy 100 per cent of Liverpool is hard to find. Someone with enough to buy into the project is much easier, especially when their stake almost certainly increases rapidly.

Those hoping for a full sale, however, should probably give up that hope.