Peter Moore has dismissed reports linking Jeff Bezos to Liverpool as “a red herring”, while suggesting the consortium fronted by Amit Bhatia could eventually lead to Fenway Sports Group (FSG) walking away from Anfield.
The former Liverpool chief executive, who served from 2017 to 2020, was speaking to the ECHO in New York and on the Blood Red podcast. FSG confirmed last week that negotiations with Bhatia’s group were at an early stage for what has been described as a “significant minority” stake. Amazon founder Bezos, the world’s third-richest man with a net worth of £201bn according to Forbes, was reportedly approached about joining the consortium.
Bhatia’s group is backed by the Mittal family, whose net worth is valued at over £26bn. Bhatia, the former Queens Park Rangers owner, is the son-in-law of ArcelorMittal executive Lakshmi Mittal. Sources close to Bhatia have so far refused to comment on the speculation regarding Bezos.
Investing within PSR
Moore, who lived through the “FSG Out” period, said Liverpool do not need an oil sheikh, but acknowledged the club needs substantial financial support. He stressed that any spending must operate within Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR).
“You can’t just be writing $100m checks because you’ve got them,” he told the ECHO. “No, you’ve got to build a football club.” He credited chief executive Billy Hogan and his team with building “a commercial machine” that drives revenue, allowing Liverpool to spend heavily on players – including last summer’s outlay which “shocked the heck out of everyone”.
Moore said he met “a lot of owners that weren’t, who were in it for different reasons”, contrasting them with FSG. He pointed to Bhatia’s 17 years at QPR as evidence of his passion for the game, and noted the considerable wealth of his father-in-law, Lakshmi Mittal.
Why Bezos is a red herring
Moore, who lives in Silicon Valley, said someone could have emailed Bezos asking if he would be interested in the consortium, but that did not mean the Amazon founder would accept. “Jeff has never shown any interest,” he said.
Moore added that even if Bezos were to put in one percent of his net worth and bring his wife, Lauren Sanchez, to Anfield, the cameras would be on her – something FSG would not want or need. “The Bezos thing to me is a red herring,” he said.
He argued that the real attraction of Bhatia’s group lies in the Mittal family’s wealth and their willingness to understand the culture and pitfalls of football, adding: “You need people who understand the culture, understand the pitfalls and are willing to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty.”
Could FSG use the deal as an exit strategy?
Bloomberg reported last week that the potential agreement between Bhatia’s group and FSG could pave the way for the consortium to take a controlling stake at Anfield further down the line. Moore believes FSG owners John W Henry and Tom Werner, both 76, might use the deal as their exit strategy after 16 years in charge.
Moore said Henry still has a relatively young family, with wife Linda and their children, while Werner recently remarried. He described both as “excellent human beings”. He added that Mike Gordon, another FSG partner, is in his early 60s, but that when you hit 70 you start thinking about your legacy and estate. He said it sounds morose but is the responsible thing to do.
He noted that Liverpool, based on the 30% investment, is now worth £4.5bn (about $6bn), compared with the £300m FSG paid for the club. He said there are other partners who are relatively silent but used to visit Liverpool regularly and are of a similar age. He added that FSG might previously have considered an NBA expansion franchise, but an $8bn fee in Las Vegas and perhaps a little less in Seattle had changed that.
Moore said FSG’s decision to make a public statement about the talks showed “long-term thinking”. He added that Henry, in particular, might question whether FSG wants to continue competing in the modern transfer market, where prices have risen from £10m or £12m and Andy Robertson cost £8m. He joked Henry could ask: “How much for Bradley Barcola?!”
“I don’t know, but that’s my perspective,” Moore said.
