View: Liverpool owners FSG dodge £84m Bordeaux bullet amid Kylian Mbappe influence
Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have dodged a bullet with their decision to pull out from the deal to purchase a majority stake in Bordeaux.
According to BBC Sport (16 July), FSG has withdrawn from talks with Bordeaux after reports last week confirmed the Liverpool owners as front-runners to buy the French side.
Bordeaux were provisionally relegated to the Championnat National (third tier) last season by the Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion, (French football’s financial watchdog) but Ajaccio were relegated in their place.
Owner Gerard Lopez must seek alternative investment quickly and prove to the DNCG that they can financially compete in Ligue 2 next season or suffer relegation.
Liverpool owners decide not to invest in financially unstable French football
FSG decided to pull out of the deal due to the costs of maintaining the Matmut Atlantique stadium and the economic climate of French football, according to the statement released by Bordeaux on their X account (16 July).
Bordeaux attracts around 20,000 fans to the 42,000-seater stadium and the Ligue de Football Professionnel is struggling to sell their domestic television rights due to Kylian Mbappe leaving PSG for Real Madrid (DaveOCKOP, 16 July).
Ligue 1 is dubbed the ‘farmers league’ of the top five leagues in Europe and losing their best player, and one of the best players in the world will cause a further divide between French football’s top-flight and the rest of Europe’s top five leagues.
The attraction of awakening a sleeping giant in French football with Bordeaux dwindled for FSG, in light of the financial challenge of taking over the side.
FSG were prepared to invest £84 million over six years to stabilise the club’s finances with an initial investment between £25-33m to appease the DNCG.
The stadium is owned by the Bordeaux city council in a private/public partnership and is losing money, FSG would have had to fork out £42m to purchase the stadium outright (The Athletic, 16 July).
FSG could face backlash from Liverpool fans
Liverpool are crying out for their own investment as the club prepares for their first season under Arne Slot.
The Reds are one of the only top Premier League sides not to be active in the transfer market yet this summer, with glaring holes in the squad that need to be addressed.
FSG are known for their sell-to-buy approach during their Anfield tenure, and Liverpool fans will not want to see their owners invest money that can be used to improve their side.
Their plans for a multi-club model will continue despite the collapsed deal with Bordeaux under the guise of CEO of football Michael Edwards, but they could face backlash from Liverpool fans if they feel their club is not FSG’s number one priority.
In other Liverpool news, Liverpool make new Marc Guehi transfer decision after EURO 2024 – report.
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