The Liverpool owner Fenway Sports Group has instructed bankers to sound out what potential buyers would pay for the club as it seeks fresh investment.
US banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are assisting with the process, although it is understood that FSG has no immediate plans to sell and views the development as purely exploratory at this stage.
FSG has been open to attracting new investment in return for the sale of a minority stake for several years as it seeks to challenge with Manchester City in the Premier League. That remains the case should the right offer be “in the best interests of Liverpool as a club”.
The recent changes in ownership in English football, primarily at Chelsea, have prompted FSG to consider Liverpool’s own valuation and has resulted in a sales document being put together for potential interested parties.
Liverpool were valued at £3.89 billion by Forbes in May before Roman Abramovich sold Chelsea to a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital for £2.5 billion.