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Liverpool aims to boost turnover

Liverpool want to push towards £500m in annual turnover, the benchmark that would allow it to compete with the two Manchester clubs and Real Madrid. Owners Fenway Sports Group do not have the deep pockets of the Arab investors in Manchester City and Paris St Germain.

One idea is to stage rock concerts, but the big trucks need to set up stages cannot pass through pitchside tunnels built in 1892. The last big concert at Anfield featured Sir Paul McCartney in 2008 and cranes were need to lift the stage over the top of the stands.

Anfield's capacity increased from 44.000 to 54,000 when its main stand was enlarged in 2016. That has added £12m annually in match day revenue and increased lucrative hospitality places to 7,500.

Around £200m has been spent on the stand, a £50m new first team training centre, and improvements to the pitch and access to Anfield. The club has planning permission to expand the Anfield Road stand by 6,000 seats before September 2019 but is still assessing the viability of the plan.

Dan Jones, head of Deloitte's Sport Business Group, estimated the Champions League run was worth €80m-€100m. It should lift Liverpool above Chelsea in the money league next season.

In the year ending May 2017 Liverpool's revenue increased by £62m to £354m. The club made a post-tax profit of £39m compared with a £21m loss the year before. Media revenue rose by £30m to £154m, commercial revenue increased £20m to £136m and match day income increased to £64m.

A net cash investment of £91m on players and infrastructure pushed debt up from £22m to £67m. Standard Chartered has signed up for another four year shirt sponsorship deal reported to be worth £160m. That is double the £25m it is believed to be paying from 2014-15 to 2018-19.

In an interview with the Financial Times chief executive Peter Moore admitted there is a tension between Liverpool's need to compete with richer rivals while retaining its identity as a club rooted in its community and the fans who create the atmosphere.

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