As soon as the news emerged that Jeff Bezos was interested in forming part of a consortium to buy a stake in Liverpool FC, the jokes began.
Anfield was to become the Amazon Arena, a nod to the company where Bezos made his fortune. New signings would arrive on next-day delivery. Liverpool would not just be competing to be champions of Europe but the galaxy, referring to Bezos’s part in the 21st-century space race.
Whatever your opinion on the fourth-richest man in the world, it is hard for Reds fans not to dream of the endless possibilities under a man worth £190billion according to Forbes.
But will Liverpool actually see any of the proposed £1.35bn investment? What role, if any, will Bezos play? And is it time for those supporters to get excited?
Daily Mail Sport has spoken to sources on both sides of the Atlantic to help tackle some of the big questions…
Jeff Bezos has discussed the possibility of joining a consortium which is pushing to buy a stake in Liverpool
Liverpool are in a period of transition with Andoni Iraola taking over as head coach in June
What is going on?
Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group are in talks to sell a stake in the club to a consortium backed by Amit Bhatia and funded in part by the family of steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.
Bezos is interested in being part of the consortium and other names are also keen to get involved.
Bhatia will be in charge of the bid. He stepped down as co-owner and director of Championship side Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday after nearly two decades at Loftus Road, where he has a stand named after him.
The 46-year-old is the son-in-law of Mittal, the 73rd richest man in the world with £23.4bn to his name per Forbes, and the consortium is keen to buy around £1.3bn in the club.
A spokesperson for Liverpool’s owners FSG told Daily Mail Sport earlier this week: ‘An investment consortium led, managed, and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club.’
It is thought that FSG welcome the potential opportunity and this is another way the conglomerate, who also own the baseball behemoth Boston Red Sox, are looking to further position the club for success.
It would be a similar move, though on a larger scale, to when FSG sold 4 per cent to Dynasty Equity in September 2023. Principal chair John W Henry has always been eager for additional investment while still being keen to hold the majority stake.
FSG sources stress that no deal is signed just yet, with the parties in early discussions at this stage, though the fact the consortium has been put together is a significant development. And there are signals that everyone involved is keen for a deal to be done.
Businessman Amit Bhatia is part of the consortium in talks to buy a stake in the Reds
Would it be a wise move for FSG?
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire certainly thinks so.
He tells Daily Mail Sport: ‘As far as the potential Liverpool investment is concerned, it looks like it’s going to be up to 30 per cent or £1.3bn. That values the club at just over £4bn, which is broadly in line with expectations.
‘From FSG’s point of view, it’s a super smart piece of business. Yes, they have sold part of the club before but this will ensure they still own a controlling stake of around 60 per cent.
‘So in terms of the long-term strategy of the club and the individual transfer windows and recruitment issues, it is still FSG’s decisions that are being made. If they are selling 30 per cent, that money goes to FSG not Liverpool, so there is no physical impact upon the club’s coffers.
‘If the club is looking to borrow money at a future date for whatever circumstances and you are owned by Mittal’s son-in-law and Bezos, they will be in a position to lend money on an interest-free basis which can only help in terms of cash flow.
‘Also, having a potential partner of the magnitude of Bezos does mean there is the opportunity for synergies. If Amazon Prime want to increase their global influence, then one way could be to do a partnership with Liverpool, whether in terms of content or sponsorship.
‘Liverpool goes out to the world and Amazon goes out to the world as well. As well out of the world, maybe! He is flying people into space after all.’
Finance experts believe it would be ‘a super smart piece of business’ from FSG to sell a stake in the club
What is Bezos’s involvement?
Bezos, who made his massive wealth by founding Amazon out of his Seattle garage in 1994 and has since launched ventures such as (the unfortunately-named, for Liverpool fans) space company Blue Origin and the Washington Post news group, is interested.
Sky News reported that Bezos was invited to join the syndicate led by Bhatia. His exit from QPR on Tuesday, the same day the news broke about his interest to invest in Liverpool, came at a telling time.
The intentions of the consortium are clear, though Bezos has historically been cautious when it comes to major sports deals. He was interested in buying the current Super Bowl winners Seattle Seahawks and fellow NFL team Washington Commanders but pulled out.
There has been an influx in similar deals in recent years, notably Ineos’ investment in Manchester United and Todd Boehly with Clearlake at Chelsea.
While Boehly is still seen as the figurehead of that move, Behdad Eghbali and Clearlake run the show. Eghbali loves football and has been pleasantly surprised at the English sporting culture when attending games at Stamford Bridge.
Perhaps we will see Bezos in the posh seats at Anfield before too long, too.
It is believed that Bezos was invited to join the syndicate led by Bhatia
What happens next?
The news of FSG being open to selling a stake came as a surprise to many, including some personnel at the club.
It is not said to be an indication that Liverpool’s Boston-based owners, who bought the club in 2010, are looking to sell up. If anything, it is part of their strategic plan to position the club to prosper.
Some fans point the finger at FSG for various shortcomings.
They are no saints, for sure – some of their ticketing policies and price hikes have irked many – but they have done far more good than bad during their time as custodians of the club, including regenerating Anfield and financially backing the club into a successful era on the pitch.
As for the consortium, sources believe they are serious.
The day-to-day running of the club would be unlikely to change if it goes through, but being backed by such mega-rich investors can never be a bad thing.
