Mike Gordon is to step back from his director role with Liverpool following Fenway Sports Group’s decision to put the club up for sale.
FSG released a statement on Monday which confirmed they were looking for outside investment in the club. The ownership group said that “under the right terms and conditions we would consider new shareholders” but for now “ FSG remains fully committed to the success of Liverpool”.
Gordon is FSG president and is hugely influential behind the scenes of the Premier League club. Jurgen Klopp has previously described Gordon as “the brain behind all the things at Liverpool”.
Klopp is understood to have a strong relationship with Gordon, who is based in Boston, rather than in the UK. But Gordon is now to step back from the day-to-day operations of Liverpool and focus on finding a buyer for the club, according to The Athletic.
He has significant skin in the game, considering he was the the third-highest stake holder in Liverpool before RedBird Capital Partners bought a 10 per cent stake in the club in March 2021. Gordon’s change of role will see chief executive Billy Hogan take greater responsibility for operations.
FSG, who have owned Liverpool since they bought out George Gillett Jr. and Tom Hicks in October 2010, have appointed Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to assist them in their efforts to sell the club. The owners are keen to sell and achieve a gigantic return on the £300million they bought the club for.
The £4bn sale of Chelsea to a consortium fronted by Todd Boehly in May has encouraged FSG that now is the right time to cash out their chips. While they are understood to be open to a full sale, FSG’s statement also leaves open the possibility of them selling a percentage of the club.
Gordon’s move will essentially see Hogan promoted. He became Liverpool’s chief executive officer in 2020, having previously been the club’s chief commercial officer since 2012.
Like Gordon, Hogan has a strong relationship with Klopp, who hailed his influence when signing a new contract earlier this year. “There is a freshness about us as a club still and this energises me,” he said.
“For as long as I have been here, our owners have been unbelievably committed and energetic about this club and it is clear that right now this applies to our future as much as I’ve ever known.
“In Billy Hogan and [sporting director] Julian Ward we have leaders throughout the club who are completely focused on renewal and refreshing so we can continue to compete at the very highest level.”
