Jeff Bezos nears Liverpool stake in Amit Bhatia-led consortium: Report

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is reportedly nearing a deal to acquire a roughly one-third stake in Liverpool Football Club as part of an investor consortium led by Amit Bhatia, son-in-law of Indian steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, according to Sky News.

Liverpool's controlling shareholder Fenway Sports Group (FSG) is preparing to announce the transaction as soon as this week, although the announcement could slip into next week, Sky News reported. The deal is yet to be finalised and could involve a stake of more than 30%, according to a source cited by the broadcaster.

The consortium also includes Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook, with Bhatia leading the investor group.

Liverpool valuation could touch £4.4 billion

The proposed investment would reportedly value Liverpool at around £4.4 billion ($6 billion), making it one of the biggest transactions involving a football club.

The valuation is substantially higher than the roughly £3.3 billion valuation at which US-based Dynasty Equity acquired a minority stake in Liverpool in 2023. It is also a massive increase from the £300 million that Fenway Sports Group (FSG) paid when it acquired the club in 2010.

FSG remains Liverpool's controlling shareholder and the reported transaction is a strategic minority investment, rather than a change in control of the club.

FSG said last month: “An investment consortium led, managed, and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club.”

Amit Bhatia puts Indian connection at centre of deal

Bhatia's role is important for the Indian business community as he is leading the consortium seeking the Liverpool stake. He is the son-in-law of Lakshmi Mittal and was, until recently, a shareholder in Queens Park Rangers (QPR).

Mittal himself has had a longstanding association with QPR, having acquired a minority stake in the Championship club in 2007. However, there is no indication that Mittal is involved in the reported Liverpool investment.

Indian business interests have previously featured prominently in English football. Venky's, the Pune-based poultry group owned by the Rao family, acquired Blackburn Rovers in 2010, becoming the first Indian company to own an English Premier League club.

The latest proposed Liverpool investment therefore adds another high-profile Indian connection to overseas football ownership, while bringing together three prominent names from the global technology and investment world — Bezos, Saverin and Bhatia.

The last change in Liverpool's minority ownership came in 2023, when Dynasty Equity bought its stake in the club.