Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has confirmed for the first time that Fenway Sports Group are "exploring a sale" of the Merseyside club.

The American firm headed by John W Henry have been in control of Liverpool for 12 years since acquiring the Anfield giants in a £300m purchase back in October 2010.

In that time, FSG have overseen a significant period of success since hiring Jurgen Klopp seven years ago, with the German leading the team to Champions League and Premier League triumphs.

Liverpool have also moved to a new state-of-the-art training complex and are currently undergoing stadium redevelopments, with the Anfield Road End capacity being increased to hold over 60,000 fans at the ground in total.

However, it has since been widely reported that Henry is looking to sell the club, and FSG confirmed earlier this month that they were open to new investment opportunities.

Now, Werner - who has been chairman of Liverpool since FSG took charge - has revealed to the Boston Globe that the owners are willing to cede full control of the club to an appropriate buyer but are in no rush to sell up.

"We're exploring a sale, but there's no urgency, no time frame for us, and as far as I'm concerned, it's business as usual. One outcome could be our continued stewardship for quite a while," the 72-year-old said.

Werner's quotes come after FSG partner Sam Kennedy confirmed that Liverpool had received "a lot of interest" from potential investors, while also announcing that director Mike Gordon would step back from his duties as director, with Billy Hogan taking on the day-to-day running of the club.

"There has been a lot of interest from numerous potential partners considering investment into the club. It is early days in terms of exploring possibilities for possible investment into Liverpool," Kennedy told the Boston Globe.

"Mike Gordon has done an extraordinary job of leading the club for the past decade-plus. He will be taking a step back from that role and Billy Hogan will be taking on more and more. Billy's someone we're particularly proud of in the Red Sox front office; he grew up in our organization."

"Great companies grow by adding value to their business. One way to increase that value from time to time is to sell assets or add investors. Does that mean FSG is going to sell Liverpool? I do not know.

"It's John Henry's, Tom Werner's, and Mike Gordon's job to responsibly run Fenway Sports Group, and they felt this was an ideal time to explore possible opportunities for investment into the club."

FSG are reported to be in talks with an unnamed buyer over a £2.7bn takeover, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Ricketts Family ruling themselves out of the running early doors.

Manchester United fan and former UFC double champion Conor McGregor has also expressed an interest in buying the Reds on social media.