Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) are in preliminary talks with a consortium led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia over the sale of a minority stake in the Premier League club.According to The Guardian, the consortium has made a provisional offer of £1.35 billion for around 30% of Liverpool, valuing the club at approximately £4.5 billion. Neither FSG nor Bhatia has confirmed the size of the proposed stake or the investment amount, but FSG has acknowledged the discussions, describing them as being at an early stage.
Eduardo Saverin joins list of potential investors
The consortium is also reportedly trying to bring in another tech billionaire. According to Sky News, Eduardo Saverin, the Singapore-based billionaire who co-founded Facebook alongside Mark Zuckerberg, has been approached to join the investment group.Saverin, whose fortune is estimated at $32.4 billion (£24.3 billion) by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, was reportedly contacted several weeks ago as efforts continue to assemble a syndicate of investors that could become Liverpool’s second-largest shareholder.However, his involvement is not yet confirmed, and sources told Sky News it remains unclear whether he will formally join the consortium.Saverin is no stranger to football investments. In 2022, he was part of a consortium that unsuccessfully bid to buy Chelsea after Roman Abramovich put the club up for sale. He currently co-runs venture capital firm B Capital Group, which invests in artificial intelligence, healthcare and financial technology startups.
Jeff Bezos approached to join consortium
One of the biggest names linked to the proposed investment is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.Reports say Bezos has also been approached by Bhatia to join the consortium, but he has not yet decided whether to invest in Liverpool. His involvement remains unconfirmed.Bezos, who founded Amazon in 1994, also owns space company Blue Origin and Nash Holdings, the parent company of The Washington Post. According to Forbes, he has a personal fortune of around $245 billion, making him one of the richest people in the world.Although Bezos has previously explored buying NFL teams such as the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks, he is not currently known to own a major professional sports franchise.
Who is Amit Bhatia?
Amit Bhatia is a 46-year-old British-Indian entrepreneur and investor. He is the founder of investment firm AyBe Capital, which invests across sectors including technology, media, real estate, healthcare and consumer businesses.Bhatia is also the son-in-law of Indian steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, having married Vanisha Mittal. He recently stepped down as co-owner and director of Championship club Queens Park Rangers (QPR), ending an 18-year association with the London club.Apart from football, AyBe Capital has invested in TGL, the technology-based golf league founded by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, as well as cricket media platform Switch Hitter. Earlier this year, Lakshmi Mittal acquired a 75% stake in IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals.
Why is FSG considering outside investment?
FSG bought Liverpool for £300 million in 2010. Since then, the club’s value has risen dramatically, and a sale of around 30% would generate a substantial return on that investment.The move is not believed to be part of a plan to sell Liverpool outright. Instead, FSG is looking to bring in fresh investment while retaining overall control of the club.Reports suggest the proposed transaction could value Liverpool at more than $6 billion, making it one of the biggest deals in English football history, behind only landmark transactions involving Chelsea and Manchester United.
FSG has welcomed investors before
This is not the first time Liverpool’s owners have sold minority stakes.In 2021, FSG sold a 10% stake in the company to RedBird Capital Partners. In 2023, it sold a reported 4% stake in Liverpool to Dynasty Equity for £164 million, with much of the money used to reduce debt accumulated during the pandemic.Private equity firms RedBird Capital, Arctos Sports Partners and Dynasty Equity already hold minority interests linked to Liverpool, while FSG remains the controlling owner.
What happens next?
The talks have reportedly been ongoing for around three months and remain at a preliminary stage. Any transaction is expected to take months rather than weeks to complete.FSG recently confirmed that “an investment consortium led, managed and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club.”If a deal is completed, it is still unclear how much influence Bhatia’s consortium would have over football operations. Liverpool are expected to retain FSG as the controlling owner, while the identities of all the investors backing the consortium have yet to be finalized.For now, both Jeff Bezos and Eduardo Saverin remain potential investors rather than confirmed members of the group, as negotiations continue over what could become one of the biggest investment deals in Premier League history.