Latest news with #FenwaySportsGroup
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Liverpool tell Barcelona Diaz is not for sale
Liverpool have rejected an approach from Barcelona to speak to forward Luis sources told BBC Sport that Colombia international Diaz, one of Liverpool's key players in winning the Premier League title last season, is not for 28-year-old joined Liverpool from Porto in January 2022 and has a contract with the club until scored 13 goals and made seven assists in the league as Liverpool won the title by 10 was of attracted interest from Manchester City last summer and also has admirers in Saudi Arabia. He is currently away on international duty. Speculation about Diaz's future increased after he and his girlfriend both wrote lengthy posts on social media to Liverpool fans that could be interpreted as farewell sporting director Richard Hughes and Fenway Sports Group's chief executive of football Michael Edwards have looked to refresh Arne Slot's squad early in the transfer week the Premier League champions completed the £29.5 million signing of Dutch right-back Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer are close to agreeing a club-record £109m fee to sign Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz from Leverkusen, and are in talks to sign Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez for between £45m and £ goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili will join the squad after joining Liverpool last summer but spending the season on loan at April, prolific forward Mohamed Salah ended speculation about his future by signing a new two-year contract to keep him at Anfield until 2027, while captain Virgil van Dijk signed a new deal later that Alexander-Arnold has joined Real Madrid one month before the end of his Liverpool contract, while goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has been sold to Brentford for an initial £12.5m Darwin Nunez has been linked with moves to Saudi Arabian sides as well as Barcelona.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Liverpool reject Barcelona approach over Luis Diaz transfer, tell them he is not for sale
Liverpool have rebuffed an approach from Barcelona to discuss signing Luis Diaz, telling the champions of La Liga he is not for sale. The 28-year-old Colombia international joined from Porto in January 2022 on a deal that runs until the summer of 2027 and, as things stand, there is little expectation of a fresh agreement. Advertisement It has led Diaz to be linked with leaving Anfield and Barcelona contacted their Premier League counterparts on Wednesday about recruiting him. But Liverpool's formal reply was unequivocal; the Catalan club and their sporting director Deco were immediately informed that no appetite exists to trade a squad member who head coach Arne Slot is planning with for the 2025-26 season. Diaz was of interest to Manchester City last summer and also has admirers in Saudi Arabia. Yet the recent pursuit of Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, 30, by Al Hilal helped Liverpool establish Diaz's market price. The winger played a key role in bringing a 20th English title to Merseyside and has so far given no indication of wanting to depart. Unless that or Liverpool's stance changes, the club would be happy to let Diaz see out his final 24 months. Liverpool's new-look hierarchy, led by sporting director Richard Hughes and Fenway Sports Group's chief executive of football Michael Edwards, has sought to address the contract issue — however progress has not materialised. At Diaz's age, their current preference would be to maximise his performance value — even if that means exiting as a free agent — unless Liverpool receive bids that enable them to land a replacement of similar or superior quality. (Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Liverpool ready to pay full £126million asking price for Florian Wirtz to avoid drawn-out transfer saga
LIVERPOOL are preparing to pay the full £126million asking price to capture Florian Wirtz as soon as possible. The Bayern Leverkusen playmaker is understood to have agreed a five–year deal. Although the clubs have yet to agree a final fee. But boss Arne Slot wants to avoid a drawn–out saga. His club first offered £110m then went back with an improved offer. Now Anfield's chief executive of football Michael Edwards has been given permission by owners Fenway Sports Group to go all–in. There is growing Kop optimism that the 22-year-old will put pen to paper after the end of the international break on Sunday. Wirtz featured in Germany's Nations League semi-final defeat to Portugal. He opened the scoring at the Allianz Arena with a well-taken header just after half-time. But Francisco Conceicao and . Julian Nagelsmann's side will now face either France or Spain who play tonight in Sunday's third-fourth play-off. After that, Wirtz will be free to have a medical. And, as is now all but certain, become the showpiece signing of Slot's squad summer splurge with £29m Leverkusen team-mate Jeremie Frimpong already on board. Liverpool had been prepared to go to £120m including add-ons for Wirtz. But they now accept the Bundesliga club will not back down on their original valuation. They are hoping all negotiations can now be completed by the weekend and that Wirtz will be signed and sealed before heading out on holiday in readiness to join his new club for pre-season training which starts early next month. The attacker's number at Anfield remains unclear. Reports suggested he wanted to take the No10 off Alexis Mac Allister - but he quashed those suggestions with an Instagram post. Wirtz, who wears No10 for Leverkusen but No17 for Germany, wrote: "Who says I want the 10 [emoji]. "I respect players. "Don't believe everything that's written," followed by a clown emoji. Elsewhere, Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is also expected to sign next week for £45m – taking the Anfield spend to £200m. 2
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Red Sox ownership unveils new office building that would rise above Fenway's Green Monster
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'While a formal agreement is still in progress, the current plan is for the building to serve primarily as the future home of the Red Sox and Fenway Sports Group's main offices, who are expected to occupy the majority of the space,' a Fenway Corners spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Advertisement For decades, the Red Sox and FSG have based their operations within ancient Fenway Park itself, along with rented space nearby at 82 and 92 Brookline Ave. Moving out would afford them more modern space, while also opening more of Fenway for fan amenities, a spokesman said. Advertisement 'Relocating those operations will allow them to repurpose existing office areas within Fenway Park for enhanced fan amenities, meeting spaces, and new activations that improve the overall ballpark experience,' the Fenway Corners spokesperson said. The seven-story property would face both Fenway Park and the Massachusetts Turnpike. Morris Adjmi Architects, Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects, Gensler Project renderings from Morris Adjmi Architects and Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects were 'The two structures work very much in harmony,' said Yanni Tsipis, senior vice president of development with WS Development in Boston, at the June 2 public meeting. 'This building will not compete with the soul and character of its surrounding context — it will step away very respectfully.' As proposed, the building would stand 129 feet — high enough to be visible above the Green Monster and make it even harder to hit a ball clear to the Turnpike. And while the famed Citgo sign will still be visible from many vantage points in the park, 'views from certain angles will change with the addition of this building,' the Fenway Corners spokesperson said in an email. Beyond the Red Sox, Fenway Sports Group also owns Liverpool Football Club, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and two regional sports news networks. (Fenway Sports Group's principal owner, John Henry, owns The Boston Globe; the project spokesperson said there was no plan to move the Globe to the new building.) Advertisement The earliest the project could start construction is mid-to-late 2026, with an expected 2½-year construction timeframe. An artist rendering of Landsdowne Street with a new building being proposed by the Red Sox on what's now the site of a small parking garage. Morris Adjmi Architects, Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects, Gensler The project comes at a time of overall sluggishness for new real estate development, and follows a period of dramatic transformation of the blocks surrounding Fenway Park. 'No one thought the Fenway could ever be what the Fenway is today,' said Tim Horn, a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee overseeing the Fenway Corners development. And Genevieve Day, co-executive director of the Fenway Alliance, a guild of 22 cultural and educational institutions in the neighborhood, praised the project's design. 'It really looks like one of those buildings that has always been there,' said Day. 'It almost looks like a warehouse building that you're repurposing for this usage.' And the 55 Lansdowne project could eventually grow much larger. Plans for the seven-story building include a two-story passageway that would connect to a building developed over the Turnpike — a building the Fenway Corners development consortium has air rights to build — and would, in time, create a pedestrian connection between Lansdowne Street and Kenmore Square. The project was scheduled to appear in front of the architecture review board the Boston Civic Design Commission on Tuesday evening. The team also needs to review its project agreements with its citizens' advisory committee before starting construction. The Landsdowne Street building would be part of a larger development around Fenway Park that has been approved by the Boston Planning & Development Agency. Morris Adjmi Architects, Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects, Gensler Catherine Carlock can be reached at
New York Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Liverpool Transfer DealSheet: Summer window latest, key targets and likely exits
After a superb debut season at Anfield, Arne Slot's preparations for the sequel are already well underway. Liverpool have been among the busier Premier League clubs early this summer and there promises to be many more deals — both incoming and outgoing — before the transfer deadline on September 1. Here is our guide to what to expect from the champions in the coming weeks. Sporting director Richard Hughes is the main decision-maker at Liverpool and leads all transfer and contract negotiations, supported by his assistant David Woodfine. They work closely with owner Fenway Sports Group's CEO of football, Michael Edwards, who reports to the FSG board. It is a collaborative approach, with head coach Slot also having a significant input into the process of which players are bought and sold. Advertisement Liverpool have already strengthened their right-sided options with the £29.5million signing of Jeremie Frimpong from Germany's Bayer Leverkusen. Internally, he is not viewed as a like-for-like replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has joined Real Madrid. Part of the attraction with Frimpong for Liverpool is his versatility, with the Netherlands international having previously shone at full-back, wing-back and as a winger. It promises to be a busy summer for the new Premier League champions, who are also looking to secure deals for an attacking midfielder and a left-back. Slot has spoken about wanting to add 'new weapons' to the side. He knows Liverpool need to evolve and improve if they are going to build on winning last season's title. He is also determined to ensure they are serious contenders for the Champions League again in 2025-26, having been knocked out by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain on penalties at the last-16 stage in March. Slot wants to add more pace, more dynamism, more creativity and more goals. The big one is another Leverkusen player — Florian Wirtz. Liverpool are prepared to shatter their transfer record to land the gifted Germany international. Last week, they made an improved bid of around £109million, inclusive of add-ons. Discussions between the clubs are continuing with Wirtz, who had also attracted strong interest from Bayern Munich and Manchester City, keen on following Frimpong to Anfield. The 22-year-old, who is currently with the Germany squad preparing for Wednesday's Nations League semi-final against Portugal, would be a hugely exciting addition. He scored 10 goals and provided 13 assists in 31 Bundesliga appearances last season, and can play out wide but has predominantly operated centrally as a No 10 or false nine. Advertisement Liverpool have also targeted Bournemouth's 21-year-old left-back Milos Kerkez, who the south coast club value at around £45million. Further incomings after Wirtz and Kerkez would be heavily influenced by outgoings. Liverpool have already banked €10million (£8.4m) after striking a deal with Madrid for Alexander-Arnold to leave a month before the expiry of his Anfield contract so he can play for the Spaniards in the upcoming Club World Cup. They have also agreed a fee rising to £18million with Brentford for goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who only had one year remaining on his contract and was desperate to become a No 1 after a long stint as Alisson's deputy. Giorgi Mamardashvili, the Georgia international who was bought for £29m last summer, will arrive from Spain's Valencia next month to compete with Alisson for a starting place. Liverpool should raise significant funds from the sale of Darwin Nunez, who has attracted interest from the Saudi Pro League. Atletico Madrid and Milan have also been monitoring his situation. There is also uncertainty over the future of Luis Diaz, who has been linked with Barcelona and Saudi club Al Nassr, with his contract due to expire in 2027. If, as expected, Liverpool sign Kerkez, one of their current left-backs would be surplus to requirements, with Kostas Tsimikas deemed the most likely to depart. It remains to be seen whether players who found their game time limited in 2024-25, such as Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah, push for a move and what kind of offers for them would be forthcoming. Tyler Morton, Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams are expected to leave in search of a fresh challenge. There is also plenty of interest in Ben Doak, whose successful loan spell at Middlesbrough in the second-tier Championship was cut short by injury, and Stefan Bajcetic, who was borrowed last season by Red Bull Salzburg and then Las Palmas. Advertisement Jayden Danns, who was loaned to Sunderland in January only to quickly return to Merseyside because of a back injury, and James McConnell are likely to be sent out to boost their development. There are also decisions to be made on fellow youngsters such as Owen Beck, Lewis Koumas, Kaide Gordon, Calvin Ramsay, Luke Chambers and Luca Stephenson. Third-choice goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros is keen to gain more senior experience after staying put as cover behind Alisson and Kelleher last season. Harvey Davies could potentially step up if Jaros moves. The 21-year-old academy graduate would have been out of contract this summer but recently signed an extension. Owners FSG remain committed to a self-sustaining business model, with all revenues generated made available to be reinvested into the club. Each prospective deal is assessed on its merits rather than Liverpool having a set amount they can spend. The latest accounts, covering the 2023-24 season, saw the club post a pre-tax loss of £57million. However, they have no concerns in terms of PSR (profit and sustainability rules) as they made a profit of £7.5m in 2021-22 and a loss of £9m in 2022-23. The financial landscape for Liverpool is much rosier with another money-spinning year in the Champions League and the riches that come with winning the Premier League title. They also have a new kit sponsorship deal with Adidas kicking in this summer — one which represents a significant increase on the current agreement with Nike, which is worth around £60million per season when royalties are included — and there's a lucrative pre-season tour to the Far East, where they will play games in Hong Kong and Japan. Their inactivity in the transfer market last summer and again in the winter window also gives them greater flexibility to finance a deal like the mooted one for Wirtz. Signing him and Kerkez, having already secured Frimpong, would take their outlay beyond £180million, but Liverpool would expect to claw back a big chunk of that through sales. (Top photos: Wirtz, left, and Diaz; Getty Images)
