Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan has acknowledged that “change was inevitable” this summer across multiple areas of the club. The season began with the dismissal of manager Arne Slot, followed by the appointment of Andoni Iraola from Bournemouth. Michael Edwards also resigned as Fenway Sports Group's CEO of football after the multi-club ownership plan collapsed.
Player movements and transfer speculation
On the pitch, Mohamed Salah and Andrew Robertson departed, with Robertson joining Tottenham Hotspur. In terms of arrivals, Liverpool are discussing a potential British transfer record move for Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, while Victor Munoz has already been signed from Osasuna.
Further changes are expected in the transfer window. Off the field, reports emerged that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin had been invited to join a consortium to purchase a stake in the club.
Hogan addresses transition and takeover
Speaking to the BBC, Hogan said: “Transition and change is inevitable in football. In our case, with a new coach coming in, there's real excitement around Andoni's mindset and philosophy that supporters will really enjoy. That will take time but in terms of transition. I would send a message that we are in a very healthy place as a football club - the leadership from ownership is in a very steady place and we're looking forward to the next season and the season ahead.”
On takeover speculation, Hogan added: “Look, John Henry (the principal owner) and FSG have always said that if there was an interest in an investment that would help the football club, then they would consider it. That was said many years ago and that remains the case here. At this point, I wouldn't say anything different to the statement that a consortium led, managed and represented by Amit Bhatia has come forward and expressed an interest in a minority investment.”
Financial health and spending
Hogan explained: “Off the pitch, our priority is to continue driving overall revenues and expand and build the club. We're really happy with the trajectory and direction of the club. We were fifth in the Deloitte Football Money League and had the highest revenue (£702m) in the Premier League. All of that investment, as has always been the case since 2010, goes back into the club. It's about running the club sustainably.”
Liverpool narrowly qualified for the Champions League last season, which was seen as a disappointment after winning the Premier League the previous year. The setback came amid a £450m spending spree that brought in Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, and Jeremie Frimpong.
Reflecting on that spending, Hogan noted that significant revenue was also generated from player sales, including Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Jarell Quansah, and others. He said: “It's important to keep in mind that last season, a considerable amount was invested but also generated in terms of sales of players going out. Over the course of FSG's stewardship, the investment has always been focused on doing what's best to put us in a place to win. Sometimes that means significant expense and other times it doesn't like in the summer of 2024 when there was only one addition (Federico Chiesa for £12.5m). It depends on where we are at the club and the improvements needed. Ultimately Mike Gordon, who is really our managing owner, will make those decisions.”
