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LeBron James to 'Weigh In' on Running Liverpool After Joining Fenway Sports Group
April 2, 2021
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is expected to have a voice in the running of Liverpool.
In an interview with Joe Vardon, Simon Hughes and James Pearce of The Athletic, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said he thinks the four-time NBA MVP will "weigh in" on decisions for the English Premier League club.
Per Michael Silverman of The Boston Globe, James and his business partner, Maverick Carter, finalized a deal on Wednesday to purchase a stake in Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool.
“I would welcome [James' and Carter's] thoughts,” Werner added.
James has been a part-owner of Liverpool since 2011, when he purchased a 2 percent stake in the club.
Per AFP (via The Score), James' stake in the Reds has increased with his new role as a partner in Fenway Sports Group.
The AFP reported that the $750 million investment from James, Carter, Paul Wachter and another group, RedBird Capital Partners, "is expected to allow Liverpool to recover from the financial pressures of the coronavirus pandemic."
Vardon, Hughes and Pearce added that Liverpool's top brass has been looking to "strengthen its ties with LeBron in the knowledge that his immense global appeal can help reach new audiences, especially in the Far East."
Per Freddie Keighley of The Mirror, one market-leading report estimates that Liverpool lost £42 million because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Reds won their 19th top-flight title last season—their first for 30 years—with a 32-3-3 record.