Bezo's Consortium Advances Talks for Stake in Liverpool

What the report says

A consortium that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has moved further in discussions to purchase a minority stake in Liverpool, according to BBC Sport as cited in the Nile Post report. The group is said to be seeking about 30% of the club, and the talks follow Fenway Sports Group’s confirmation last month that it had received interest in a strategic minority investment.

The consortium is led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia and also includes Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. Bhatia has a background in football ownership, having been a director and co-owner of Queens Park Rangers for 18 years before stepping away from that role last month. Bezos, meanwhile, is the founder of Amazon and one of the world’s richest people, with a business portfolio that also includes The Washington Post and Blue Origin.

Fenway Sports Group has owned Liverpool since 2010, when it bought the club in a deal valued at £300 million. The company has already sold a minority stake in Liverpool to Dynasty Equity. The reported advance in talks is significant because it would bring another major outside investor into one of English football’s most prominent clubs, although no final agreement has been announced.

More broadly, Bezos has previously been linked with potential ownership interest in U.S. sports franchises, but had not gone ahead with those bids. The latest development suggests he may be closer to a first major move into football ownership, pending the outcome of negotiations.