By AFP

Liverpool owner John Henry has denied the English giants are up for sale despite seeking fresh investment in the club.

Henry’s Fenway Sports Group said in November it would “consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club.”

That sparked speculation that the 19-time English champions were on the market alongside rivals Manchester United.

“I know there has been a lot of conversation and quotes about LFC (Liverpool Football Club), but I keep to the facts,” Henry told the Boston Sports Journal.

“We merely formalized an ongoing process. Will we be in England forever? No. Are we selling LFC? No. Are we 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?”

FSG paid £300 million ($361 million) for Liverpool 13 years ago after fellow Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett left the club on the brink of administration.

Under their ownership, Liverpool have been restored to the top of the English and European game – winning the 2019 Champions League and lifting the club’s first Premier League crown for 30 years in 2020.

However, FSG have been criticised by fans for a lack of investment in new players this season.

Liverpool sit eighth in the Premier League, 19 points adrift of leaders Arsenal, and are already out of both domestic cup competitions.

Manchester United are expected to fetch a world record price for a football club should a sale of the Red Devils be completed in the coming months.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani have publicly revealed their interest in United with bids expected to reach around $6 billion.