FSG identify French team for multi-club ownership bid

Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group and new CEO of Football Michael Edwards are exploring a deal to buy Toulouse in France’s Ligue 1, according to a report. 

Links between the club are already well established as RedBird Capital Partners owns 85 percent of the French club and also around 10 percent of FSG, Liverpool’s parent company.

Additionally, former Liverpool sporting director Damien Comolli is the current president of Toulouse and led the club back to the top flight in 2022 after two seasons out of Ligue 1. 

Comolli was also responsible for the signings of Luis Suarez and Jordan Henderson, among others during his Liverpool days. He was appointed as Toulouse club president after Redbird took over in 2020. 

Now Football Insider is reporting that FSG have held talks over Toulouse becoming the first partner in their new multi-club empire. 

Michael Edwards to build an FSG multi-club empire 

Edwards, the former Liverpool sporting director, was brought back under the FSG umbrella earlier this month in a new CEO of Football role, officially taking up his role in June. 

Part of his remit will be to compete with Manchester City and Chelsea, who have implemented multi-club ownership models. 

“One of the biggest factors in my decision is the commitment to acquire and oversee an additional club, growing this area of their organisation,” Edwards said in a statement upon his return. 

“I believe that to remain competitive, investment and expansion of the current football portfolio is necessary.”

FSG are also looking to bring in Benfica technical director, Pedro Marques, who developed Manchester City’s multi-club model, according to a report in the Athletic, as relayed by FootballTransfers. 

Toulouse, the current Coupe de France holders, faced Liverpool in the Europa League group stages back in the autumn. 

They were defeated heavily, 5-1, at Anfield but sprung a surprise by winning the return fixture 3-2.

Benfica eliminated Toulouse in the first knockout round back in February over two legs.