Liverpool chairman Tom Werner rubbishes takeover talk

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 27 October 2017

Claims that Liverpool's Fenway Sports Group owners turned down a £1.5m buyout offer from a group led by Amanda Staveley are wide of the mark, chairman Tom Werner claims.

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has responded to rumours that the club rejected a £1.5bn buyout offer, insisting that "there is no truth to them".

Reports from the Middle East claimed that Fenway Sports Group (FSG) knocked back the takeover approach from a consortium led by Amanda Staveley, who has now instead turned her focus to fellow Premier League club Newcastle United.

The National suggested that talks were ongoing for more than a year between the two parties before the club's FSG owners pulled the plug, turning down £1.2bn up front and a further £300m in add-ons, which related directly to the Reds' performances in Europe.

Werner has moved to clear up the speculation, however, telling the Liverpool Echo: "We have better things to do than batting down rumours about negotiations with Ms Staveley. However, there's no truth to them."

Staveley's PCP Capital Partners Group is understood to be in advanced talks with Newcastle, whose owner Mike Ashley recently confirmed that he is keen to sell up.