Liverpool chief Ian Ayre: 'Anfield Road redevelopment is not a smart investment'

Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre has claimed that the cost of redeveloping the Anfield Road end of the stadium would not be a "smart investment".

The Premier League club spent £114m on redeveloping the Main Stand, which was opened earlier this season, thanks to an interest-free loan from owners Fenway Sports Group.

The aim is to repay the loan in six years, but Ayre has claimed that a £60m-£70m cost for working on the Anfield Road end could take 15 years to pay back due to the lack of hospitality seats in that area of the ground.

"A stand behind a goal doesn't have the benefit of hospitality that would go a long way to meet the redevelopment costs," Ayre said during a meeting with Liverpool Supporters' Committee.

"If you consider the redevelopment of Anfield Road from a purely general admission perspective, building, say, 6,000 extra seats to take the capacity up to 60,000 would cost somewhere between £60m-70m.

"At £12,000 to £13,000 pounds per seat, it would take approximately 15 years to pay back, which is not a smart investment for the business."

Ayre did not rule out the prospect of fans investing in the redevelopment of the Anfield Road end.