Liverpool’s ownership has taken a major turn after Fenway Sports Group (FSG) agreed to sell a 30 per cent stake in the club to a consortium led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia and backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
The agreement values Liverpool at around £5.5 billion, underlining just how highly the Premier League giants are now regarded in the global sports business.
Bhatia is expected to become Liverpool’s new vice-chairman and take up a seat on the club’s board as part of the deal.
For Bezos, however, the involvement will be more limited. The Amazon founder is coming in as a passive investor and will not have a place on Liverpool’s board for now.
The deal does not change who controls the club, with FSG retaining its majority ownership and continuing to oversee Liverpool’s day-to-day operations.
Instead, the investment brings fresh financial backing and a group of high-profile investors into the club, with Bhatia taking the more prominent role among them.
The development also gives Bhatia a bigger foothold in English football. The businessman has previously been involved with Queens Park Rangers and now moves into the boardroom of one of the biggest clubs in the country.
For Liverpool, the bigger picture is what the new investment could mean beyond the ownership numbers.
With the club already boasting a huge global following, the arrival of investors with strong business and financial backgrounds could open new opportunities for commercial growth while FSG remains firmly in charge.
The agreement therefore represents a significant change around Liverpool without being a change at the top. FSG stays in control, but a sizeable minority stake at Anfield is now in the hands of a new group featuring some very familiar names in global business.