Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Liverpool's owners, are in talks over selling a minority stake to a consortium led by former Queens Park Rangers co-owner Amit Bhatia. The deal is backed by Bhatia's father-in-law Lakshmi Mittal, the billionaire Indian steel magnate.
Talks at early stage
The ECHO understands that no agreement is in place and talks remain at an early stage, according to sources briefed on the matter. The negotiations are being viewed as similar to the agreement with Dynasty Equity in 2023, which was worth between £82m and £164m.
FSG statement
An FSG statement given to the ECHO said: “An investment consortium led, managed and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club.”
Offer details
According to the Guardian, a sale of 30% of Liverpool is being discussed, with an offer of around £1.35bn on the table. Talks over the deal have been going on for three months.
Bhatia's stance
Mr Bhatia has so far declined to comment on the developments but went public about the decision to step away from QPR on Tuesday, having come on board at Loftus Road nearly 20 years ago.
Liverpool valuation
FSG purchased Liverpool for £300m in October 2010. Over 15 years later, the 20-time Premier League champions are valued at £5.2 billion by Forbes.
Jeff Bezos talks
According to the Guardian, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has held talks about joining the Amit Bhatia-led consortium. Bhatia is talking to other potential investors about supplying funding. The report claims that Bhatia's consortium would see Bezos receive equity in Liverpool.
Bezos stance
However, Sky News reports that despite the talks, a source cautioned that he was not certain to proceed with investment in the club. The 62-year-old also owns the Washington Post and Forbes estimates his fortune at almost $257bn, making him the world's fourth-richest man.
