Liverpool have ‘FOMO’ over Man City situation despite ‘huge City Group losses’
Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group look set to invest in another football club.
FSG have earned mixed reviews among the Liverpool fanbase, with many frustrated at their levels of investment into the playing squad in recent years.
Despite these criticisms, FSG are looking to expand their sporting empire, and could now follow the route of others including Manchester City, in building a multi-club network.
FSG are interested in buying Spanish second-division side Malaga, who reached the Champions League quarter-finals in 2013, and their motivations behind this move have now been explained.
Why FSG want Liverpool to follow a multi-club model
The multi-club model of operating has continued to grow in recent years, with Chelsea‘s owners Clearlake also investing in several clubs across the world.
It is a path which has been heavily criticised, but from an ownership perspective, there are a lot of benefits.
Speaking to TBR Football, finance expert Kieran Maguire has now explained why FSG want to buy Malaga, and claimed that the main motivation is ‘fear of missing out.’
“I expect to see more of this. The biggest challenge here is UEFA’s, not Liverpool’s. There are going to be questions of conflicts of interests when issues like this arise in the future – and they will arise in the future,” Maguire stated of the multi-club model.
“Michael Edwards has been there and clearly sees the value in connecting with a club like Malaga.
| Team | Position | Points | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals | Conceded |
| Malaga | 15th | 42 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 34 | 36 |
“It’s a model but a largely untested one. I think there are a lot of clubs going down this route for fear of missing out. There is a FOMO element to this.
“There are consequences of Brexit that have accelerated some clubs’ interest in this. However, we are now nine years on from Brexit and there are plenty of clubs who have got on fine without a multi-club model.”
Maguire went on to explain the benefits of a multi-club ownership model for clubs like Liverpool.
“From Liverpool’s point of view, having a club like Malaga can act as a halfway house in terms of broader recruitment. Having consistency of style and culture through a multi-club network can have benefits too,” he added.
“If you look at City Football Group, Man City are very much the mothership and the organisation is not a success financially. They make huge losses.
“FSG, by nature, are a very cautious organisation, so we will have to see how that model plays out for them. They don’t want to lose money.”
How FSG buying Malaga could benefit Liverpool
FSG have clearly seen the rewards Man City have reaped in their multi-club model, and their interest in Malaga may be as a result of trying to follow a similar path.
The City Football Group also own Girona, who finished fourth in La Liga last season. Extra CFG investment allowed Girona to recruit top-four quality players such as Golden Boot winner Artem Dovbyk, but the cost was that Man City would then poach their talents.
Winger Savinho was hugely impressive for Girona, but City then bought him for below his market value, as a direct benefit of shared ownership between the clubs.
Liverpool could now benefit in a similar way. FSG investment could help bring Malaga back to La Liga for the first time since 2018, and their biggest talents such as winger Antonio Cordero could become future assets for The Reds.