Amit Bhatia to be Liverpool vice-chairman as part of £1.65bn deal
Group including Jeff Bezos buying a third of Premier League club and will take three seats on board — while agreement allows flexibility for talks over bigger stake
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Bhatia, Saverin and Bezos are part of the consortium that is buying a third of Liverpool
Paul Joyce, Northern Football Correspondent
Friday August 14 2026, 5.00pm BST, The Times
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Fenway Sports Group has agreed a deal to sell a third of Liverpool to a consortium headed by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia, which values the club at about £5.5billion.
Bhatia is to become Liverpool’s new vice-chairman and take a place on the board in return for a minority stake in the 20-times English football champions.
He is to be joined on an expanded board by Elaine Saverin, the wife of Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, and Bryan Baum, who is representing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos rather than Bezos becoming a board member himself.
The transaction for about 30 per cent of Liverpool is worth in the region of £1.65billion.
Bhatia will become Liverpool vice-chairman as part of the deal
Ian Tuttle/SHUTTERSTOCK
There is no commitment beyond that from FSG to sell a greater shareholding to Bhatia’s 1892 Holdings company, named after the year in which Liverpool was founded, in the future.
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However, the transaction documents provide options and flexibility for how a relationship may evolve over time, which effectively means that Bhatia would be in the driving seat to purchase a larger shareholding should FSG wish to sell more of the club in the future.
For now, FSG will retain majority ownership and there is to be no change in the day-to-day operation of Liverpool. The transaction is not a direct capital raise for the club, or an indication of a change in transfer strategy.
The deal remains subject to approval from the new Independent Football Regulator and those involved must pass the Premier League owners’ and directors’ test. That could take up to 90 days.
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Liverpool announced record revenues of £703million in the last accounting period, spending about £550million on new signings for the team over the past 14-months. The club had not been seeking investment out of financial necessity.
Rather, FSG believe the opportunity stood out due to the calibre of people involved and the experience, relationships and global links they can bring to help grow the club.
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There is an expectation that the consortium will open up networks in India and across Asia and support Liverpool’s long-term growth ambitions by bringing together experts from across global business, technology and investment.
Increasing the club’s turnover would then enable more to be spent on the team given the Premier League’s squad cost ratio regulations. These limit the spending of top-flight clubs to 85 per cent of their football-related revenue and net profit/loss from player sales. In addition, those who play in European competition, as Liverpool invariably do, must fall in line with Uefa’s 70 per cent cap.
Bezos is not joining the Liverpool board but will be represented by Baum
Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images
“We are incredibly proud to be investing in Liverpool Football Club and to be doing so alongside FSG,” Bhatia, who transferred his ownership in Championship side Queens Park Rangers last month having first joined the club in 2007, said.
“We have the utmost respect and admiration for FSG as owners and for everything they have achieved at Anfield.
“To be welcomed as a partner in a club of this stature is a huge privilege. We are making this investment because we believe deeply in Liverpool and its leadership, and we look forward to supporting the club’s continued success for years to come.”
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Bhatia, the son-in-law of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, has been speaking to high-ranking FSG figures for more than a year, with his interest having been facilitated by Corestone Capital Advisors, who introduced the relevant parties.
He is viewed by FSG as the primary partner and has subsequently put together the group of high-profile investors.
Bhatia was formerly chairman of Queens Park Rangers
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1982 Holdings comprises the Bhatia and the Mittal Family Trusts, K5 Sports, with Bezos as the lead investor in the K5 Sports fund, and EE Capital, the family office of Elaine and Eduardo Saverin.
Bezos was described as a passive investor by one source.
FSG president Mike Gordon, who has taken on more of a day-to-day role in Liverpool following the resignation of chief executive of football Michael Edwards, said: “Liverpool has always been built by thinking beyond one season and making decisions with the club’s long-term interests in mind.
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“That approach continues to attract interest from respected investors and business leaders around the world. As we considered this opportunity, it became clear that Amit and the consortium shared our long-term philosophy and appreciation for what makes Liverpool special.
“Their experience and perspective will complement the strong foundation already in place, and we look forward to working together.”
FSG bought the club in 2010 for £300million and the existing Liverpool board is represented by principal owner John W Henry, chairman Tom Werner, Gordon, Mike Egan, Jonathan Bamber, Jenny Beacham and Sir Kenny Dalglish, who is a non-executive director.