Liverpool

Earlier this month, it was reported that the American firm had put Liverpool up for sale, 12 years after acquiring the Reds in a £300m purchase.

A statement released to The Athletic confirmed that John W Henry was welcome to new investors, reading: "There have been a number of recent changes of ownership and rumours of changes in ownership at EPL clubs and inevitably we are asked regularly about Fenway Sports Group's ownership in Liverpool.

"FSG has frequently received expressions of interest from third parties seeking to become shareholders in Liverpool.

"FSG has said before that under the right terms and conditions we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club. FSG remains fully committed to the success of Liverpool, both on and off the pitch."

Since that statement, FSG have remained largely in the background as Liverpool focus on their on-field duties, but numerous high-profile buyers are understood to have taken an interest in buying the club.

Now, Kennedy - a partner in the company and the president of MLB giants Boston Red Sox, another sports team owned by FSG - has revealed that "numerous" parties have registered their interest in investing.

"There has been a lot of interest from numerous potential partners considering investment into the club. It is early days in terms of exploring possibilities for possible investment into Liverpool," Kennedy told The Boston Globe.

Kennedy also touched on the topic of FSG president and Reds director Mike Gordon, who has been involved in the day-to-day running of Liverpool but is now stepping back from his duties.

Gordon is said to be relinquishing his responsibilities in order to focus on a sale, and as a result, chief executive Billy Hogan is set to take over his role.

"Mike Gordon has done an extraordinary job of leading the club for the past decade-plus. He will be taking a step back from that role and Billy Hogan will be taking on more and more. Billy's someone we're particularly proud of in the Red Sox front office, he grew up in our organisation," Kennedy added.

"Great companies grow by adding value to their business. One way to increase that value from time to time is to sell assets or add investors.

"Does that mean FSG is going to sell Liverpool? I do not know. It's John Henry's, Tom Werner's and Mike Gordon's job to responsibly run Fenway Sports Group and they felt this was an ideal time to explore possible opportunities for investment into the club."

A recent report claimed that Liverpool were in talks with an unnamed US-based buyer over a £2.7bn takeover, with neither the Ricketts family nor Sir Jim Ratcliffe interested in buying the club.

Former UFC double-champion Conor McGregor has also expressed his interest in buying the club on social media, despite the 34-year-old being a Manchester United fan.