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Bezos joins swoop for Liverpool stake

Liverpool Football Club’s owner Fenway Sports Group is closing in on a deal to sell a significant minority stake in the business to investors including Jeff Bezos. The Amazon founder is part of a consortium led by Amit Bhatia, the son-in-law of steel tycoon and billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, which is set to buy about a third of the Premier League side, reports the Financial Times.

A deal, which the FT previously reported may value the club at more than $6bn, could come as soon as this week, according to two people with knowledge of the talks. However, one warned that the deal was not finalised and the timing could slip. Fenway and the consortium declined to comment.

Bezos’s inclusion in the consortium highlights the global reach of Liverpool and the Premier League, which has transformed from a domestic competition into one of the UK’s biggest cultural exports. The incoming investor group also includes Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, the people said. Saverin was part of a wider consortium that lost out in the bidding war to acquire Chelsea FC in 2022, when current owners Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly prevailed.

Liverpool would be the latest top English club to attract new investors, as sports franchises attract ever greater interest as an asset class. Valuations have soared since Fenway, founded by American businessman John Henry, bought Liverpool for £300mn in 2010. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos owns about 29 per cent of Manchester United, having bought in at a $6.3bn valuation, including debt, in 2023. Clearlake and Boehly bought Chelsea for £2.5bn, while Manchester City was valued at $4.8bn when Silver Lake invested in 2019.

Liverpool have been crowned Premier League champions twice under Fenway and also added another Uefa Champions League to their trophy cabinet as they returned to the top tier of European teams.

Liverpool’s revenue rose to north of £700mn in the 2024-25 season, a club record, up from £613mn the previous year. England’s 20 top-flight clubs reported average revenue of £340mn in 2024-25, according to consultancy Deloitte. Premier League teams had more footballers than any other league represented at the 2026 men’s World Cup, underlining the division’s marketability.

Sky News first reported that Fenway could make a statement about the transaction as soon as this week.

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