Mike Gordon, the main link between the powers that be at Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group and Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, is understood to be transferring some of his job responsibilities to CEO Billy Hogan.
According the Boston Globe, a newspaper that FSG chief John Henry owns privately, FSG's third in command, Gordon, is taking a step back from what had been a hands on role with the Reds for more than a decade, although the shifting of some of his role onto Hogan is not related a potential sale of the team after it emerged earlier this week that the owners were open to both investment and a potential full takeover.
Gordon has been a major link between FSG and Liverpool but has, the Globe reports, sought to step away from the day-to-day at the club and pass more onto Hogan, someone with a growing reputation inside FSG. Sources told the Globe that the move was a 'natural evolution' with Hogan set to take up the kind of prominence at Liverpool that Sam Kennedy does in the same role with the Boston Red Sox.
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Gordon, who lives in Boston and is the fourth largest shareholder in FSG, has had a strong relationship with Klopp during his tenure and has been FSG's eyes and ears when it comes to feeding back to the very top within the ownership group when it comes to Liverpool.
In a 2020 interview, Klopp said: "“[Gordon is] just the brain behind all the things at Liverpool, that’s how it is. We can have ideas, we can have plans but in the end he decides if we can do it or not"
The transition is, according to the report, in its early stages.
Gordon stepping back could suggest a different role to play within FSG's growth strategy but, while said to be not related, comes at the end of a week where FSG's long-term future at Liverpool has been called into question.
The Athletic reported on Monday that the Liverpool owners, who had engaged US banks Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs to seek outside investment more than a year ago, had now opened themselves up to expressions of interest around a full sale, the team valued at between £3.5bn and £4bn. Liverpool sources state that the focus remains on seeking investment first and foremost.
Liverpool have been approached for comment regarding Gordon's changing role.
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