Liverpool FC in talks to sell minority stake to Mittal-backed consortium

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing AFP, reported that Liverpool FC’s owner, Fenway Sports Group, has received interest from a consortium led by British-Indian investor Amit Bhatia for a possible minority investment in the Premier League club. FSG confirmed on Tuesday that Bhatia’s group had approached it about what was described as a strategic minority stake. Liverpool, a 20-time English champion, has been owned by the U.S.-based sports group since 2010.

Bhatia is the son-in-law of Indian steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal. According to the report, the Financial Times said Bhatia had brought in advisers for a potential offer that could value Liverpool at more than $6 billion. The discussions were described as preliminary, and no agreement has been reached.

The development came as Bhatia left his position as a director and co-owner of Queens Park Rangers, the English Championship club where he had spent 18 seasons. Al Jazeera reported that he will transfer his QPR ownership to majority owner Ruben Gnanalingam. In a departing statement cited in the article, Bhatia expressed thanks to the club’s players, staff, board, community trust and supporters.

The potential Liverpool investment would follow FSG’s 2023 sale of a minority stake to global sports investment firm Dynasty, a transaction that reports at the time valued at $100 million to $200 million. Any new minority investor could matter because top Premier League clubs face rising costs in player recruitment, infrastructure and commercial expansion while trying to remain competitive domestically and in Europe.