Sources: Liverpool set to ‘lose millions’ after shattering development
According to Football Insider, Liverpool has already lost £820,000 in matchday revenue and is poised to lose “millions” more due to delays on the Anfield expansion.
The Reds hoped that their Anfield Road stand expansion would be finished in time for the start of the 2023/24 season.
However, the Merseyside club had to postpone the stand’s unveiling and then faced further obstacles when contractors Buckingham Group filed for administration last month.
The stand is projected to cost Liverpool £80 million in total, though this amount may rise due to the new delays.
According to Football Insider, Liverpool are not scheduled to open the new stand at full capacity until December.
Jurgen Klopp’s team has already played twice at half-capacity, and the club may face a major drop in matchday revenue as a result.
The financial consequence of Anfield’s lower capacity, according to Viva Mukherjee, a chartered accountant and sports finance specialist, was revealed to sports Insider.
“In the 2021/22 season, Liverpool earned £86million in matchday revenue,” he stated.
“This figure was broken down into £57 million from Premier League ticket sales and season tickets, £15 million from Champions League fixtures, and an additional £14 million from domestic cup competitions and other revenues.”
“Following the postponement of the Anfield Road expansion, we’ve seen Liverpool operate at a reduced home capacity, resulting in a 3,000-4,000 decrease in ticket sales.”
“The attendance levels at Bournemouth and Aston Villa were 49,699 and 50,109, respectively, and are expected to be the same for the cup tie against Leicester City.”
“Overall, the reduced capacity has already cost Liverpool £820,000, on top of the stand’s rising construction costs.”
“With the stand still on hold until its phased opening in October, Liverpool stands to lose millions as a result of the delays.”
In other developments, Liverpool’s contract with Thiago Alcantara has been terminated.