Jeff Bezos and Investor Consortium Near Deal for Stake in Liverpool FC
2 sources across 2 countries · Qatar · South Africa · 1 of them is linked to a state
Who reported this
- Al Jazeera
- Business Day
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
A consortium including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is close to acquiring a minority stake of approximately one third in Liverpool FC. The investor group is led by Amit Bhatia, the son in law of steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, and includes Facebook co founder Eduardo Saverin. Fenway Sports Group, the current owners of the club, confirmed in July that Bhatia's group had expressed interest in a strategic investment. Reports indicate that an announcement could be made as early as this week.
The potential deal would value the club at approximately 4.4 billion pounds. This investment follows a period of transition for the club. Liverpool won the Premier League title in the 2024 25 season, but subsequently parted ways with manager Arne Slot in May. Andoni Iraola has since been appointed as the new manager. Additionally, forward Mohamed Salah has departed the club, and Michael Edwards left his role as CEO of football at Fenway Sports Group in July.
Fan reaction has centered on the implications of the sale. The supporters group Spirit of Shankly has requested a meeting and more clarity from the club, stating that the interests of the club and its supporters must come first. The group expressed concern that similar sales at other clubs have led to undesirable changes in football operations.
Coverage of the event differed in focus based on political lean. The center left reporting emphasized the demands of the supporters group and the need for transparency. In contrast, the center right reporting focused on the financial valuation of the club and the strategic business growth under Fenway Sports Group's ownership.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- Focused on the concerns of the supporters group and the demand for clarity regarding the club's custodianship.
- Centre-right
- Emphasized the financial scale of the deal and the increase in the club's valuation.
Sources
90% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.