Liverpool’s Fenway Sports Group (FSG) owners, however, have set no deadline and are not thought to have set any timeframe to sell, and Broughton suggested the Reds might be better off looking for multiple investors.

‘Liverpool will be best off taking in co-investors to ensure the current owners can work alongside them and be satisfied that these are the right people,’ he added.

‘As I understand it, they [FSG] are interested to see what the market reaction is. They could be willing sellers. They could be willing to have investors, but if they carry on owning it, that’s fine too. That’s my understanding of their position.’

Ratcliffe – a life-long United fan – is the only potential buyer to go public with their intentions to buy the Red Devils, and is thought to be the main rival to any bid from the group of investors from the oil-rich state.  

But Broughton suggested that prospective owners of the two clubs will come into very different situations. 

For Liverpool, the ex-chairman believes any owner will find it hard to follow FSG, while a new United owner will ‘have the following wind’ behind them. 

‘They’re (FSG) a difficult act to follow. To be a better owner than Fenway is quite difficult. At United, it’s more like the old Liverpool situation. Fans will be so pleased. Whoever buys it will have the following wind.’