Liverpool are hoping to link up with LeBron James during next month's pre-season tour of America.

The NBA superstar has been a minority stakeholder in the Reds since striking a deal with Fenway Sports Group back in 2011.

Jurgen Klopp's squad will arrive in the States on July 21 and play matches in Charlotte, New Jersey and Ann Arbor in the International Champions Cup during their week-long stay.

Reds CEO Peter Moore told the Sports with Friends podcast: "I think you can credit Tom Werner for LeBron's involvement here. He's a very interesting part of our portfolio and our family.

"We look forward hopefully to seeing him on our travels in the United States once we come over.

(Image: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

“He has a small stake in the club, but he's visited Liverpool, attended games. We haven't seen him this season — he's obviously been busy — but my hope would be that once he's got some free time that he can visit us, visit training.

"Certainly, there'll be an open invitation for him to attend one of our matches.”

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James is understood to have received a 2% stake in the club after his marketing firm LRMR agreed to a joint venture with FSG.

The tour of America will be important for the Reds - both on and off the field.

Last season's remarkable run to the Champions League final in Kiev helped to raise the club's profile further and the commercial opportunities are huge.

“The United States or North America as a whole has been and will continue to be a major market for us,” Moore said.

“We're a club that has several hundred million fans around the world. But if you listen to some third-party research, as many as 771 million fans have put their hands up and said: ‘I follow Liverpool Football Club.' Our ability to be able to engage with those fans is tantamount to our success, to be blunt.”

The calibre of the opposition has generated plenty of interest with Liverpool facing Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Manchester United.

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“It's an actual tournament, it's not exhibitions,” Moore added. “These are not friendlies, I can tell you. When, for example, in Ann Arbor Liverpool play Manchester United, it cannot be deemed as a 'friendly.' It will be a highly contested game.

"That particular game, our World Cup players from both sides will all be back, and they'll be looking to fight for their places. It will be a phenomenal spectacle. My hope and belief is that the 'Big House' (which holds 107,000 in Ann Arbor) sells out and the fans get to see a very competitive game of football there.”