Since the news broke last month that Fenway Sports Group are open to selling Liverpool, certainty has been in short supply for those attached to the club.
And, while developments regarding the early frontrunners might feel like a step toward clarity, they can in fact create more questions than answers.
As much can be seen in the reaction to The Sporting News’ revelation that a joint Saudi-Qatari consortium is plotting a £3.2 billion bid for the Reds.
If social media is to be believed, Jurgen Klopp’s future at the club has been cast into doubt by the mere possibility of a takeover originating from the Middle East.
Apparently, his comments on the likes of Newcastle United, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain preclude him from ever working with owners from that part of the world.
Of course, the truth is slightly more complex than that. For starters, in declaring that “nobody can compete with City” or “there is no ceiling for Newcastle”, Klopp was doing little more than stating an inarguable fact about the two clubs’ spending power.
In fact, the nearest he has ever come to deeper criticism of their ownership was a vague and extremely brief reference to “human rights issues” following Newcastle’s takeover by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
And, perhaps most importantly, Klopp recently said of his future: “Whatever happens, I really like how we work together with our owners but if that would change I’m committed to the club, obviously.”
As such, it will be fascinating to see how the German would react were a takeover of this nature to be ultimately completed.
The same can be said of Liverpool’s supporters, though their relationship with the club is far more complicated than that of employer and employee.
Having spent years decrying the “oil money” of City and, perhaps fairly, taking extra pride in successes earned without limitless funds under Klopp, the potential for hypocrisy is obvious.
No wonder, then, that a section of the Liverpool fanbase voiced stern opposition to the thought of a club and city that has long prided itself on the precision of its moral compass being associated with states currently under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
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Still, many supporters have already admitted that the idea of their club joining a select group that can spend at the level now required for regular silverware collection trumps worries over contradiction or ethical concerns.
Indeed, after watching Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham shine for their national teams either side of our report on Sunday, both of those names were prematurely mentioned countless times by Liverpool supporters on social media.
Ultimately, the identity of the investors involved will inform how many feel about the entire affair, with the strength of their ties to the two respective states a key factor, and something that is as yet unclear.
But with this unlikely to prove a sticking point for the Premier League or FA, who previously used their veto power to block Newcastle’s takeover, it is a quandary supporters may wish to start pondering now. In truth, there is little more that they — or indeed Klopp — can do during a period defined by doubt.