Liverpool owner John Henry has made feelings clear on Qatari sale as Sheikh Jassim tipped to bid for club

Liverpool owner John Henry has already made his feelings clear on any potential Qatari sale amid rumours that Sheikh Jassim could bid for the club.

Last week, it was reported that Sheikh Jassim and his Nine Two foundation had withdrawn from the race to buy Manchester United after a long drawn out takeover saga.

But in a shock turn of events, he has been tipped to make a bid for Premier League rivals Liverpool, who previously admitted they were 'open to offers' last November.

Speaking on the 'It's All Kicking Off' podcast, the Daily Mail journalist Mike Keegan explained: "The Qataris set aside about $8 billion (£6.57 billion) for the United project.

"That money is there and ready to go, burning a hole in their pockets, so what a story that would be [to buy Liverpool].

"From what I am led to believe, they [Qataris] are very, very disappointed and angered at how this has played out.

"What better way to respond than to get United's biggest rivals from down the road and throw all that money you were going to throw into Manchester United into making them pay for that decision not to sell to you."

However, the Reds' owner, John Henry, effectively ruled out a full sale of the club in February, insisting that Fenway Sports Group were committed to the club.

He told the Boston Sports Journal (via The Independent): “I know there has been a lot of conversation and quotes about LFC, but I keep to the facts: we merely formalised an ongoing process.

“Will we be in England forever? No. Are we selling LFC? No. Are talking with investors about LFC? Yes. Will something happen there? I believe so, but it won’t be a sale.

"Have we sold anything in the past 20-plus years?”

That being said, FSG agreed to sell a minority stake to US private equity firm Dynasty Equity in September, suggesting they may be open to further investment.

The deal is thought to be in the region of $100m-$200m (£82m-£164m), according to The Guardian, which will go some way to covering Liverpool's summer transfer business.

In a statement confirming the club's minority sale, FSG president Mike Gordon told the Liverpool website: “Our long-term commitment to Liverpool remains as strong as ever.

“We have always said that if there is an investment partner that is right for Liverpool then we would pursue the opportunity to help ensure the club’s long-term financial resiliency and future growth.

“We look forward to building upon the long-standing relationship with Dynasty to further strengthen the club’s financial position and sustain our ambitions for continued success on and off the pitch.”

SPORTbible are on WhatsApp! We've launched a dedicated news channel to send you the latest news, features and plenty more directly on WhatsApp and all you need to do to sign up is click through to our one-way broadcast channel here for 'SPORTbible News' to appear in the 'Updates' tab on your WhatsApp.

Topics: Liverpool, Sheikh Jassim, Football, Manchester United, Premier League, Jurgen Klopp

Joe Adams

Joe is a Journalist for SPORTbible with a primary focus on football. He has previously covered a number of other sports including boxing, rugby and F1. Wishes he was born left-footed.

@joeadamsjourno