Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have issued a statement insisting the club is not for sale after it emerged that the cousin of Manchester City owner Sheik Mansour tried to buy the Merseyside giants.
Abu Dhabi-based Sheik Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nehayan made an offer of €2.2bn to take over Liverpool towards the end of 2017, the Daily Mail reported on Thursday.
His ownership would have been a joint venture with a minority stake from a Chinese partner.
It's understood that interest - one of a number of approaches FSG have received in recent years - did not get past the vetting stage because it was deemed neither credible nor worthy of being put to the ownership.
FSG bought the Reds in 2010, taking over from the disastrous reign of Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jnr and saving the club from administration.
They have since steadied the ship, expanded the stadium and helped Liverpool become a major contender again. While FSG admitted an approach had been made, they firmly denied it was ever considered, though they did say they remain open to "taking on a minority investor".
"FSG have been clear and consistent: the club is not for sale," the statement read.
"But what the ownership has said, again clearly and consistently, is that under the right terms and conditions we would consider taking on a minority investor, if such a partnership was to further our commercial interests in specific market places and in line with the continued development and growth of the club and the team."
