Liverpool supporters union Spirit of Shankly has raised concerns over the proposed investment in the Reds from a consortium that includes Amazon owner Jeff Bezos. The group has questioned Fenway Sports Group (FSG) about the potential deal, which could see the consortium acquire a 30% stake in the club for up to £1.4billion.
Investment details
Discussions remain ongoing with the group, led by former Queens Park Rangers director Amit Bhatia. Bezos would participate as an investor alongside Eduardo Saverin, a co-founder of Facebook. Bezos is listed by Forbes as the third richest man in the world with an estimated worth of £207bn, while Saverin is said to be worth £24bn.
Spirit of Shankly contacted Liverpool last month when reports first emerged of the consortium's interest, asking for clarity on several issues. The club has yet to respond to their queries but has committed to meeting with the Supporters Board should discussions become more formalised.
Questions raised
In a statement, Spirit of Shankly said: "Following initial reports of a potential sale of a stake in LFC, Spirit of Shankly wrote to the club at the end of July seeking further information and greater clarity of what it would mean should a sale go ahead.
"We asked: when is the ownership expecting to conclude a potential sale? What will the purchasers get in return – board seats, level of involvement in the control of the club on and off the pitch, dividends or other financial returns?
"Is this part of a planned wider sale, or a one-off? What is the reasoning for FSG considering such a sale?
"What due diligence is being done on the potential investors/owners? This is about their plans, reasons for purchase and involvement in sports or business elsewhere.
"We also asked for a meeting and reiterated that, given the events that led to FSG’s purchase of the club, who owns it and how they control it – putting the interests of LFC and its supporters first – is fundamental to us all."
Concerns over ownership
The statement continued: "The latest report of a 30% sale and the consortium set up to buy it is significant. The ownership and custodianship of our club is paramount to SOS and all supporters.
"We have witnessed similar sales at other clubs resulting in notable changes in the running of that club and football operations, leading to decisions and behaviours that many would not want to see at Liverpool.
"The club responded by saying that if anything became more formalised, they would be willing to meet with the Supporters Board. As yet, we have no further information but will keep members informed."
