Fenway Sports Group (FSG) has rejected a £4bn takeover bid for Liverpool from 1892 Holdings, a consortium backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, according to sources close to the negotiations.
Details of the bid
The bid, which was submitted in July, valued the Premier League club at £4bn, making it one of the largest ever offers for a football club. FSG, which has owned Liverpool since 2010, declined to comment on the specifics of the bid, but sources said the offer was turned down because it fell short of their valuation.
1892 Holdings, named after the year Liverpool was founded, was formed earlier this year with the backing of Bezos, who has a personal fortune estimated at $200bn. The consortium also included several US investment firms, but no further details were disclosed.
Impact and next steps
The rejection is a blow to Bezos' ambitions to enter football ownership, but it is not expected to affect Liverpool's transfer plans for the upcoming season. FSG has previously stated that the club is not for sale, but they are open to minority investment.
Liverpool's current owners have been under pressure from fans over their spending, but the club insists the rejection is based on valuation, not a lack of interest in selling. The news comes as the Premier League season enters its third week, with Liverpool currently second in the table.
