LIVERPOOL OWNERS CLOSE TO €1.58BN SALE OF 30% STAKE TO CONSORTIUM INCLUDING JEFF BEZOS

Group including Amazon founder has held talks with Fenway Sports Group

It is understood the deal is effectively agreed but may take up to a month to complete. Photograph: Jan Kruger/Getty Images

A consortium including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is close to completing a deal for a 30 per cent stake in Liverpool after months of talks with Fenway Sports Group.

The investors are led by Amit Bhatia, the son-in-law of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, who previously was a shareholder at Queens Park Rangers. Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is another member of the group who are set to pay in the region of £1.35 billion (€1.58 billion) for almost a third of the Premier League club. It is understood the deal is effectively agreed but may take up to a month to complete.

Bezos has a personal fortune of around $257 billion (€223 billion), according to Forbes, making him the fourth-richest person in the world, while Saverin is reportedly worth $32 billion (€28 billion). This will be Bezos’ first investment in football but he has previously looked into bidding for NFL franchises. The 62-year-old will receive equity as part of the deal, which it is understood Deloitte has advised on.

Bezos is the executive chair of Amazon having relinquished day-to-day control when he stepped down as chief executive five years ago. Under his leadership the online retailer has looked to diversify as an entertainment provider in recent years and has bought numerous sports rights for its streaming service.

Amazon had live UK rights for 20 Premier League games each season for six seasons until the end of last year, and broadcasts the Champions League in several European countries, as well as NFL in the US.

FSG bought the Merseyside club in 2010 and have overseen an era which has included two Premier League titles. FSG previously sold 3 per cent of the club to the US private equity firm Dynasty Equity in 2023.

It has been a summer of change at Anfield, with Andoni Iraola replacing Arne Slot as head coach, while Mohamed Salah left on a free transfer and has since joined Trabzonspor. Meanwhile, Michael Edwards departed his role as chief executive officer at FSG.

FSG has been approached for comment. 

– Guardian

- Will Unwin

LIVERPOOL KEEP OR DUMP: SALAH, VAN DIJK, NÚÑEZ TO MOVE ON?

Virgil van Dijk, left, and Mohamed Salah, right, are two of the more senior players in the Liverpool squad. Could they be on their way out soon? (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

 This is a big summer at Liverpool because so much has changed. It's not just Jurgen Klopp moving on after nearly nine seasons, but also at the very top of the club, with Michael Edwards and Julian Ward returning and Richard Hughes coming in as sporting director. Edwards, previously sporting director, comes back as chief executive of football, while Julian Ward, who succeeded Edwards as sporting director, is now technical director for all of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Liverpool's owner.

It's not just a question of titles, either. Ward and Edwards were hailed as the architects of some of the club's most successful transfer campaigns, offering the yin to Klopp's yang. When they left, the power shifted to the manager, and with Klopp gone and a comparatively inexperienced Arne Slot coming in as manager, it feels as if this is partly a re-balancing.

FSG were willing to put up all or part of the club for sale not long ago, selling a minority stake to Dynasty Equity in September, and some will conclude that is a sign they want to avoid big transfers and look for value instead. That may be true, but there is definitely room to invest while staying within profit and sustainability rules (PSR) given the club has basically operated at breakeven in the past few seasons.

They might need that room, too. There is a ton of uncertainty in this squad, starting with the three players who become free agents in less than a year: Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Salah and Van Dijk -- given their service to the club -- will likely be given plenty of latitude and the power to make their own decisions. Alexander-Arnold is more intriguing, given the other two are well into their 30s. He's just 25, he has had his ups and downs, he's the local kid made good and optics matter. And yet, for him to be most effective, the system has to cater to him.

Defensive midfield is also a major question mark, and while there's plenty of depth in some roles, there's far less in others. And, of course, any decision has to be made with Slot's preferences and style of play in mind. He shares some of Klopp's outlook on football, but there are also significant differences.

Editor's note: This is the third in this year's series, Keep or Dump, over the coming weeks on which players to keep, extend and move on from for all the top clubs in the Premier League and Europe. Find the Man City version here and the Arsenal version here.

KEEP/DUMP GROUND RULES

Remember: This is our assessment of what we think the club should do, player for player, with the squad at their disposal. It's not what we think they will actually do, though sometimes the two will align. That said, we take into account what we know of the club, coaching staff and player preferences, as well as their financial situation and any other factors that we think will impact personnel moves.

Where we disagree, or where we think our rationale is worth explaining, we've noted below.

GOALKEEPERS

Alisson (31 years old, contract expires in 2027)

Verdict: Keep