Jamie Carragher has conceded Liverpool supporters could be faced with a moral dilemma regarding the future ownership of the club.
It emerged at the start of last month that Fenway Sports Group were potentially open to sanctioning a full sale of the Reds, though the ECHO understands selling an equity stake in the club to a 'strategic partner' remains a possible option.
A number of names have been linked with launching formal takeover offers for Liverpool, whose price is set at a premium rate for potential buyers. Any submitted proposal under $4bn (£3.3bn) is unlikely to spark serious conversations.
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One of the rumoured interested parties in Liverpool is a joint Saudi-Qatari consortium, which could prove to be a divisive combination among fans of the Reds if this were to succeed FSG. While that speculation seemingly involves the private sector, it has sparked plenty of debate. State-owned football clubs such as Manchester City, Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain have been heavily criticised, primarily for sportswashing and creating instability within football, and Carragher has warned what could follow if his former club were to follow this path.
“No matter where the new investors or new ownership will come from, Liverpool fans and the whole world will be looking at what their background is, where they’ve made their money and how they’re purchasing the club," he told the ECHO.
"I’m sure if there were things people weren’t happy about, I don’t think Liverpool supporters would be shy in voicing their opinions – that’s the type of supporters we are. That will be down to FSG and who they allow to invest into the club or who they sell to. They would be aware of making a business deal, but they also want to do the right thing for the football club."
News relating to the potential exit of FSG came as a surprise to some supporters, for others it felt like a natural step in order to enable Liverpool to continue competing with Europe's elite. Regardless of what occurs in the coming weeks and months, Carragher has no doubt the Reds will find themselves in a position of needing to spend big next summer.
"They’ve [FSG] been at the club a long time. Whether they are looking to sell the club and make good money, which they would, or if they are looking for investment to help them and the team in the transfer market, that is the interesting thing," he said.
"There is no doubt Liverpool would need to spend major money in the summer. You look at Manchester United and Chelsea, both spent over £250million in the summer and they are still teams only saying we will challenge for the top four, who are not even talking about challenging for the title. It shows how tough and competitive the league is and I think Jurgen Klopp will need similar sort of money to get Liverpool back challenging for the title.
“This season it looks like it is going to be a challenge for top four, but that’s not what this Liverpool team and Jurgen Klopp have been about – they want to challenge for the title and Champions League. A similar sort of revenue will be needed to revamp Liverpool and get them back on track."
Another club currently up for sale are the Reds' bitter rivals Manchester United, who have become the latest side to seek a change in direction at boardroom level. With the Glazers potentially on their way out and the Cristiano Ronaldo saga firmly in the past, things are looking up for the Red Devils after a decade of decline.
The decision to terminate the contract of Ronaldo was the latest piece of evidence to suggest United appear to be reinstating high standards of old, which could pose problems for Liverpool further down the line.
“It was an obvious decision when you’ve got a player who is 37, nearly 38, at your club," stated Carragher in response to the recent departure of the Portugal international.
"I think Erik ten Hag has done OK with his start to the season. They spent an awful lot of money in the summer and there is still a long way to go. Manchester United’s season will revolve around whether they get top four or not. The manager has come out of it really well [Ronaldo] and it has made him look in the eyes of United fans, which is all that matters. He is a serious football manager.”
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