In an era of heightened financial fair play awareness, that increasingly matters. The motivation is that both will either return closer to being Premier League-ready or will have enjoyed enough exposure to maintain or increase their value. Andrey Santos, signed from Vasco da Gama in January 2023, joined Angelo Gabriel, recruited from Santos last summer and duly shipped out to France, on loan at Strasbourg in January. Take Chelsea and their promising teenage Brazilians as an obvious example. The most likely first dance, just as it was for Chelsea’s American owners last year when buying French club Strasbourg, will come with a European partner.Ī European affiliate club, perhaps more importantly, also offers the opportunity for Premier League clubs to develop emerging talent at a competitive level. It has been calculated by European football’s governing body that 230 clubs worldwide were part of a multi-club investment structure by the end of 2023, compared to less than 40 in 2012. They say that 13 per cent of all UEFA clubs (105 across Europe’s top divisions) now have a cross-investment relationship with at least one other club, with the trend primarily being driven by American investors.īoston-based FSG, owner of Liverpool since 2010, has left it late to join the rush, but the next 12 months are expected to see a multi-club operation begin under Edwards’ watch.

Liverpool intend to join what UEFA call one of the “fastest-growing trends in football’s financial ecosystem”. The search, with Edwards as its leader, is on. “We see it as a path that will help strengthen our club for the future,” said Mike Gordon in an email to Liverpool staff.įSG’s search for a second football club to run alongside Liverpool had only ever previously been explorative, with particular consideration given to Brazilian clubs, but now there is a commitment to create a stable. Modern football demands broader horizons. No longer can the club’s future be shaped entirely on Merseyside. There have been early misgivings from supporters, but Edwards and Liverpool are projecting a bigger long-term picture. “I believe that, to remain competitive, investment and expansion of the current football portfolio is necessary.”Īnd so began Liverpool’s multi-club adventures a venture down a road on which Premier League rivals such as Manchester City and Chelsea have already embarked. “One of the biggest factors in my decision is the commitment to acquire and oversee an additional club, growing this area of their organisation,” said Edwards when eventually confirmed as FSG’s chief executive of football earlier this month.

Andrea traverso