Liverpool's FSG owners 'eyeing new $6bn takeover' with LeBron James tipped for key role

Liverpool's FSG owners are reportedly looking to enter the world of NBA with a potential takeover of the Boston Celtics being considered.

John W Henry and Tom Werner have been exploring opportunities to add another football club to its ranks and did hold talks over purchasing French side Toulouse, which later collapsed.

FSG already owns Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox and NHL side Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Post reports that they are considering bidding to buy the Celtics, in a joint enterprise alongside RedBird Capital.

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And that move could see NBA superstar LeBron James become a co-owner of one of the LA Lakers' rivals. James has been involved with the New England-based consortium for over a decade, having bought a stake in Liverpool in 2011. He further cemented his relationship with FSG by becoming a partner in the firm three years ago.

The iconic Massachusetts team clinched the NBA title earlier this year, defeating the Dallas Mavericks to secure a record 18th victory. However, owner Wyc Grousbeck stunned the sports world by announcing his intention to sell the franchise - with the Celtics reportedly commanding an asking price of $6bn (£4.7bn/€5.5bn)

Any hypothetical sale would likely be conducted in stages, with the final 49 percent stake in the franchise expected to be sold in 2028. The potential involvement of Lakers star James could also prove to be a complex issue, given his status as an active player currently prevents him from being an owner.

The idea of LeBron James joining forces with FSG in four years to potentially bring an NBA expansion team to Las Vegas seems more feasible, as by then the basketball legend is expected to have retired. There's talk that FSG might drop their interest in a Las Vegas NBA franchise if they acquire the Celtics.

James has not been shy about his ambition to introduce an NBA team to Las Vegas, and RedBird founder Gerry Cardinale has previously discussed this vision, saying: "We're looking at bringing an NBA expansion team here in partnership with LeBron and Fenway Sports Group.

"Maybe we're hitting that inflection point, and it may mean that, if we want to see a continued linear progression in these valuations, maybe it's a different type of capital [that needs to come in]."

"Maybe I'm evolved out of existence, and maybe now I'm handing the baton over to a sovereign [wealth fund] or to a lower cost-of-capital provider. It could be that we've reached that point."