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Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the owners of Liverpool, have received an approach from an investor consortium seeking to acquire a substantial minority stake in a transaction that would value the club at more than $6 billion.
The Financial Times reports that the group is headed by Amit Bhatia, son-in-law of steel magnate and billionaire Lakshmi Mittal. Bhatia recently divested his shares in Championship club Queens Park Rangers to prevent any potential conflict of interest.
Although a deal is far from being concluded, the proposed valuation would place Liverpool among the most valuable football clubs in history at over $6 billion.
"An investment consortium led, managed and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club," FSG said in a brief statement.
Sky Sports News reports that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, widely regarded as the fourth-wealthiest person on the planet, has been invited to join Bhatia's consortium. Bezos's longstanding ambition to invest in a sports franchise is well documented, having previously shown interest in multiple NFL teams.
Why Would FSG Be Interested in a Minority Liverpool Sale?
It was in 2022 that FSG first acknowledged an openness to hearing proposals from potential investors.
"Under the right terms and conditions we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club," a statement read at the time.
In 2023, an agreement was reached for global sports investment firm Dynasty Equity to take a stake in Liverpool. The Reds were, at that point, still recovering from financial losses incurred during the Covid-19 pandemic, alongside considerable spending on training facilities for both the men's and women's teams, as well as ongoing plans to expand Anfield.
Dynasty's investment is understood to have been directed primarily toward clearing bank debts, while any additional influx of capital would further support Liverpool's ambitions both on and off the pitch.
FSG has made it abundantly clear that it has no intention of surrendering control of Liverpool, having originally purchased the club for $401 million in 2010. A full takeover is not thought to be on the table in the current discussions with Bhatia's group.
The talks represent yet another distraction during what has already been a summer of considerable uncertainty for Liverpool, who are navigating the departure of star forward Mohamed Salah and the decision to replace manager Arne Slot with Andoni Iraola, while also managing several changes behind the scenes.
FSG executive Michael Edwards is set to leave the club this summer, and sporting director Richard Hughes is also expected to exit following the transfer window, with a role in Saudi Arabia already reported to be lined up for him.