Just a couple of days ago, the footy-verse was hit by an absolute bombshell, as The Athletic exclusively revealed that Liverpool FC was up for sale.
Owned by Fenway Sports Group or FSG since 2010, the Premier League Heavyweights are among the most valuable sports franchises in the world, and any potential sale will easily fetch a pretty penny.
Their current owners purchased the club for £300m, a figure which pales in comparison to what the Reds are worth now, with Forbes valuing the club at £3.6b.
Prior to being acquired by FSG, The Reds had fallen on hard times, their squad lacked quality and league title aspirations always seemed far-fetched.
After the Americans arrived on the scene, the club’s fortunes flipped.
12 years under FSG have seen Liverpool pick up numerous titles, including the English League and European crown.
And the foundations set up by them have transformed the club into a proper Football Colossus.
It hasn’t been a spotless reign though, as the Americans earned a reputation for being increasingly stingy and shying away from big-money transfers.
Naturally, this affected Liverpool’s competitiveness on multiple occasions and even alienated a decent portion of the fanbase.
Now, with FSG looking to exit the picture, fans are clamouring for an owner with hefty pockets and a dose of passion for the club, and by the looks of it, they’ve found the ideal match.
Since news of a potential sale broke, many names have been linked with Liverpool, and aside from the usual state-backed parties such as Bahrain Wealth Fund and Dubai Royal Family, a few billionaires are also said to be interested.
Among them, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer seems to be the fan-favourite thus far.
The Business Magnate earned his wealth during his term at Microsoft before diving head first into sports management by purchasing NBA Franchise Los Angeles Clippers.
His takeover initiated a masterful turnaround in the Clippers’ fortunes as Ballmer injected passion and capital in equal measure.
Boasting a net worth of over $80b, he certainly has the funds any fanbase would desire.
Steve Ballmer’s worth is around $79.7 billion, making him the tenth-richest person in the world. He’s also the owner of basketball team Los Angeles Clippers. He also looks like a very decent guy.
Aside from ticking the ‘filthy rich’ box, Ballmer is also known to have a deep-vested interest in making his teams flourish and evolve, instead of merely turning them into cash cows.
For the Clippers, the Billionaire has been behind some very expensive trades, which have taken them to a whole new level on the court.
Furthermore, he has also invested a further $2 billion into the creation of a new arena for the Clippers, citing the need for the franchise’s own ‘presence’ and ‘identity’.
If we get ballmer we’re in for a ride man he’s invested billions into the clippers even building them their own arena he’d be perfect
Moves such as these indicate that Ballmer has the best interest of the teams at heart, and is willing to part with large amounts of money in order to take them forward.
It’s easy to see how these traits are attractive for Liverpool supporters, whose current owners are far less lenient with their funds.
Add in Ballmer’s genuine passion and you have basically the ideal candidate.
Under the Billionaire, Liverpool would have plenty to spend while shying away from state ownership.
Ballmer is the 10th richest man on the planet whereby any money he could make in football is miniscule. He'd be here to get coked up and buy success. I hadnt heard of him until yesterday and now I want him to dress up as Santa so I can sit on his lap
Ballmer is frankly the dream owner. Not riddled in corruption, not a state, worth c.£75bn. Invests heavily in his current NBA team and was voted best owner in that field. Seems like an astute businessman but with deep pockets. Would be huge for his own brand too. #LFC
