Liverpool takeover: Mumbai Indians owner worth £90bn makes move as Mbappe transfer claims re-emerge
Liverpool FC are reportedly the subject of fresh takeover interest after an enquiry from the eighth-richest man in the world, the multi-billionaire Mukesh Ambani.
The future of the Merseyside giants is gaining a lot of attention after the news earlier this week that FSG are preparing to sell their controlling interest. Having bought Liverpool for £300m in October 2010, they have overseen one of the most successful periods in the club’s rich history.
Indeed, under their tenureship, Liverpool have reached three European Cup finals – winning the Champions League in 2019. And with Jurgen Klopp at them helm since October 2015, they have also ended a 30-year wait to be crowned champions of England.
Fenway Sport Group have also invested £1.254bn into transfers during their time in charge. And we have ranked all 77 of their signings from worst to best since taking charge.
Despite their success, there remains a feeling that FSG cannot compete with some of the more rich owners of the Premier League. As such, the club was reportedly put up for sale this week, with their Boston-based owners seeking around £4bn.
As a result, a number of wealthy benefactors have been linked with an approach. Indeed, Boston Celtics co-owner, Stephen Pagliuca, was this week named as a potential favourite to succeed FSG.
Pagliuca owns assets worth around £119bn, seriously dwarving Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour by £112bn.
But in terms of real wealth and actual funds, Pagliuca could be blown away by Ambani. As per Forbes, Indian businessman Abani is the world’s eighth-richest man.
And despite strong competition to buy Liverpool FC, the Daily Mirror reports he is ready to make a strong push to acquire the club.
Mukesh Ambani wants to buy Liverpool in takeover bid
And the newspaper reports that he is emerging as serious frontrunner in the race to buy the Reds. And while there is rival interest from the Middle East and USA, Ambani has proven in the past that he lets little stand in his way once he wants something.
An associate of King Charles, Ambani is the owner of Munbai Indians and helped set up the Indian Premier League. And while cricket is his major love, he also holds a strong interest in football. In fact, the Premier League is one of the most watched sports in India after cricket and is rapidly catching up.
Indeed, after creating the Munbai Indians, he has been labelled as the ‘world’s richest sports team owner’ by Forbes.
And with that, he brings an incredible wealth to the sport, attracting the world’s elite cricketers to his side.
Now, he reportedly wants to bring that same mentality to football and his prospective ownership of Liverpool.
Indeed, the Reds are already being linked again with a move for Kylian Mbappe, a man Ambani sees as one of the biggest stars in football.
Links between Mbappe and Liverpool are, of course, nothing new.
He has regularly been mentioned as a potential target for the club. Those rumours re-emerged recently following claims Mbappe was unhappy at PSG just months after committing to a new deal.
Mbappe addresses Liverpool transfer claims
His new deal at the Ligue 1 giants expires in summer 2025. As such, PSG will likely seek a world-record fee if they are to part ways with Mbappe any time soon.
However, despite reports of a fresh move to Liverpool, Mbappe has already moved to bat away claims he wants out at PSG.
Mbappe told Sports Illustrated: “You can stay here [PSG] to have success.
“For us it’s a big message, because when I announced I stay, a lot of things change in the mentality of people. People start to say, ‘Yeah, we don’t need to go out. You don’t need to leave the country’.”
Mbappe also insists he has no qualms about staying at PSG for the long haul, adding:
“I’m not scared. I’m ready,” he added. “I always talk about my ambition, what I want to do, and now it’s time.
“In Paris, the book is fully white. What an opportunity! You have to think differently. Of course, it was easier to go to Madrid. But I have this ambition. I’m French. I’m a child of Paris, and to win in Paris, it’s something really special – really special. It writes your name in the history of your country for life.”
Mbappe was also questioned about Liverpool earlier this year, adding: “We talked a little bit, but not too much. We talked a little bit. I talked to Liverpool because it’s the favourite club of my mum, my mum loves Liverpool. I don’t know why, you will have to ask her!
“It’s a good club and we met them five years ago. When I was in Monaco I met them. It’s a big club.”
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