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Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani, who owns Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians, has reportedly entered the race to buy the English football team, Liverpool. According to a report in Mirror, Ambani is among the several potential buyers of the six-time UEFA Champions League-winning team.
It was reported earlier this month that Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the conglomerate which owns Liverpool, has put the English Premier League club up for sale. The United States of America-based conglomerate is looking for around £4 billion for the sale.
In their recent statement, FSG claimed that they will consider ‘new shareholders,’ provided the interests of the club are safeguarded. “FSG has frequently received expressions of interest from third parties seeking to become shareholders in Liverpool. FSG has said before that under the right terms and conditions, we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club,” the American conglomerate’s statement read.
However, the potential buyers are reportedly only interested in a complete buyout.
Various reports state that the FSG have already received a host of offers – from the USA, England and also the Middle East. Besides Ambani, American investor Stephen Pagliuca, UAE’s Dubai International Capital and American business partners David S Blitzer and Joshua Harris are among the names who have been reported as potential buyers.
Through his company, Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL), Ambani owns Mumbai Indians, which happens to be the most successful franchise of IPL.
The franchise is also undergoing widespread expansion currently, with Reliance buying teams in both South Africa’s SA20 league (MI Cape Town), and the United Arab Emirates’ International League T20 (MI Emirates).
Though Ambani does not own a football team, Reliance operates the Indian Super League in association with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), through a subsidiary known as the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL).
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