DONE DEAL:According Fabrizio Romano Liverpool has a new owner as an Arab prince has successfully acquired the club from Fenway Sports Group for a staggering sum of $5 billion. Expressing his long-standing love for the club, the prince seized the opportunity when Fenway Sports Group put Liverpool up for sale.

Dubai-based investors are considering the acquisition of Liverpool for $5 billion (£4.3 billion) following Fenway Sports Group’s (FSG) decision to put the club up for sale, as reported in the Middle East. FSG has expressed its willingness to sell the Reds after a 12-year ownership tenure, and in a statement released on Monday, they confirmed that they “would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club.” The sale process is being facilitated with the assistance of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as offers are being invited.

Forbes valued Liverpool at over £3.5 billion in May of this year, almost 12 times the amount that FSG acquired the club for in 2010. The American sports investment company has set an asking price of £4 billion for the sale of the club, indicating that a significantly wealthy individual, consortium, or even a state entity would be required to take over ownership of the Reds.

The possibility of investors from the Middle East acquiring the Liverpool side appears to be one of the more plausible scenarios given the wealth of the Gulf states. In a notable development on Tuesday, Arabian Business suggested that Dubai International Capital (DIC) is considering the purchase of Liverpool.

This wouldn’t be the first time DIC has pursued ownership at Anfield, as they made an unsuccessful $360 million (£312 million) bid in 2007. Sameer Al Ansari, the founding chairman of Dubai’s sovereign wealth fund, revealed details about the offer in a 2014 interview with Arabian Business, citing a delay due to his personal allegiance to Liverpool.

“We would have been the pioneers from this region to accomplish a takeover,” Al Ansari expressed. “Following Liverpool’s Champions League victory in 2005, we initiated thorough due diligence in 2006, and we were on the verge of finalizing the deal in January 2007.”

“The delay occurred because it was common knowledge that Sameer was a devoted lifelong fan of Liverpool, a fact known even to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Consequently, we conducted three times the standard due diligence, as I needed to substantiate the business viability. In reality, there were very few clubs where a business case could be established.”

“Rather than DIC, Liverpool was eventually acquired by Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr., who accumulated significant debts before FSG assumed control in 2010. With FSG’s recent decision to sell the club, DIC now has an opportunity to surpass its attempt 15 years ago. If successful, Liverpool could join the ranks of European football clubs with Middle Eastern ownership, alongside Newcastle, owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund since last year, and Manchester City, owned by Abu Dhabi-based City Football Group since 2008. Additionally, Paris Saint-Germain was purchased by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011.”

Liverpool co-owner George Gillett is currently in Saudi Arabia to explore investment prospects with Prince Faisal, who is reportedly interested in acquiring a stake of up to 50% in the English club. Gillett toured Riyadh’s prominent football clubs, including Al Shabab and Al Nasr, expressing his admiration for the Saudi government’s dedication to youth development in sports, particularly football.

He stated that it would be an honor for Liverpool to contribute to this initiative. This visit comes after Prince Faisal’s recent trip to Liverpool, where both parties agreed to collaborate on establishing football academies in the Middle East.