Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group linked to buying fallen French giant

Liverpool are on the cusp of beginning a multi-club model.

Fenway Sports Group, owners of Liverpool, have long been linked to the prospect of buying multiple clubs and creating a multi-club model. This model is becoming increasingly popular, headlined by the likes of City Football Group and RedBull Group, which have created massive global multi-club groups over the past decade. Now Liverpool has gained strong links to a once Ligue 1 club in desperate need of stability.

Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group linked to buying fallen French giant

As first broken by The Athletic which was relayed by a Fenway Sports Group spokesperson, FSG are interested in buying a majority stake in French club Bordeaux. Things are described as being in the very early stages of any purchase but FSG acknowledging interest in an agreement signals a high likelihood of a deal being struck.

Bordeaux has been provisionally relegated to the Championnat National, the third French football tier. This is because Bordeaux is not in a position to guarantee to Ligue 2 that they have the proper money to exist in the league. The Athletic's report suggests that Bordeaux's recent appeal to Ligue 2 could be accepted if Fenway Sports Group secures a majority stake. Still, time is ticking, as they have under 14 days to find these guarantees.

The Southern France club can be accurately described as "fallen giants." Once a competitor at the top of the table in Ligue 1 and regularly in European competitions, Bordeaux was relegated in 2022. Bordeaux immediately dealt with a threat of double relegation to the third tier because of administrative issues but ended up winning that appeal and how they can do it again this summer.

Bordeaux is a six-time league winner in France, with its last title in 2009. Its last trophy was in 2013 when former Mali international Cheick Diabate scored an 89th-minute winner in the Coupe de France final against Evian.

Should Fenway Sports Group takeover Bordeaux, Liverpool fans should not worry about it being financially harmful to the Reds' transfer ambitions. Given Bordeaux's situation, the cost of a majority stake is unlikely to be significant, and it's unlikely a Ligue 2 club would be breaking the bank.

Liverpool would join Crystal Palace (Lyon), Chelsea (Strasbourg), Manchester United (OGC Nice), Manchester City (Troyes) and Southampton (Valenciennes) as Premier League clubs that have owners who also own clubs in France.