Liverpool fans can expect NBA superstar LeBron James to be present in their midst at Anfield taking in a game sometime in the near future.
LeBron is joining hands with John Henry, chairman of the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) who own Liverpool. As part of the deal, LeBron gets a minority stake in Liverpool while FSG partners with his sports marketing company to become his exclusive world wide representative.
The WSJ reports that this is the first time a professional athlete at the top of his game has taken an ownership interest in a team with the size and prestige of Liverpool, one of the biggest and most storied names in football.
The deal marks FSG’s serious intent to become a power player in the world of sports marketing through their subsidiary Fenway Sports Management. LeBron marks their biggest capture and it is hoped that the tie up with FSG will open up his marketing potentially on a global scale wherever Liverpool is popular, especially Asia.
These are optimistic times for Liverpool as Damien Comolli, director of football has indicated that the purse-strings will be opened up in the summer for some high priced transfers. John Henry wants to augment the squad and openly fretted that the high wage bill reflected poorly on its quality and depth. Their priority like many before them, to win their first Premiership.
LeBron was left admiring Liverpool’s eighteen league titles although one should have told him the last one came in 1990.