Chinese in £700m bid to buy Liverpool

An investment group supported by the Chinese government is attempting to purchase Liverpool for £700million.

It has emerged that Liverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group have been aware of the proposal from SinoFortone since March.

But it is believed that Fenway, who are led by John W Henry, are reluctant to sell Liverpool at this moment and have been unreceptive to the approach.

While the Premier League's new television rights deal potentially increases the value of all English top flight clubs to unprecedented levels, there is a confidence within FSG that Jürgen Klopp will lead Liverpool into a new era of sporting prosperity.

SinoFortone are also thought to open to the idea of part-investment in Liverpool, offering FSG a medium to long-term exit strategy. This might appeal more to key yet ageing figureheads like Henry and chairman Tom Werner, who will both turn 67 at their next birthdays.

Liverpool is thought to be an attractive proposition to SinoFortone, not least because of the club's history and reasonable current standing, but also because the city is home to Europe's oldest Chinese community.

In April, work on the £200m New Chinatown project began less than a mile away from Liverpool's city centre. The development will include 850 new houses, 150,000 sq. ft. of commercial and retail space, and a new hotel.

Though SinoFortone are not behind this project, its plans were presented to Chinese President Xi's delegation during his visit to Manchester last October.