NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 04: Jeff Bezos, founder and executive chairman of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post, looks out into crowd during the New York Times annual DealBook summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 04, 2024 in New York City. The NYT summit with Ross Sorkin returns with interviews on the main stage including Sam Altman, co-founder and C.E.O. of OpenAI, Jeff Bezos, founder and executive chairman of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post, former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, among others. The discussions will touch on topics such as business, politics and culture. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Jeff Bezos in talks over joining consortium eyeing Liverpool stake – reports

by · BreakingNews

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has held talks over potentially joining a consortium which has expressed an interest in buying a minority stake in Liverpool, according to reports.

According to Sky News, Bezos, one of the world’s richest men, could become part of a syndicate which is led by Amit Bhatia, the son-in-law of billionaire steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.

On Tuesday, Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group confirmed that Bhatia’s group had approached them to discuss investing in the club.

A spokesperson for FSG said: “An investment consortium led, managed, and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club.”

Bezos, who has a fortune worth an estimated £192billion according to Forbes, has reportedly explored previous bids for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, but decided against pursuing either deal.

News of Bhatia’s interest in Liverpool came on the same day that the 46-year-old stepped down from the board at QPR to end an 18-year association with the Championship club, transferring his stake to majority owner Ruben Gnanalingam.

In 2023, FSG sold a minority stake in Liverpool to investment firm Dynasty and any deal with Bhatia, should it proceed, is expected to be along similar lines.

FSG, which also owns the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Penguins, bought Liverpool in 2010 for £300million. Forbes recently valued the club at £4.6billion.

Liverpool are in the race to sign Monaco playmaker Maghnes Akliouche, the Press Association understands.

France international Akliouche has been tracked by a host of teams since he progressed from Monaco’s academy and has 51 goal involvements in 139 appearances for his boyhood club.

Paris St Germain were expected to wrap up the signing of Akliouche this summer, but Monaco have rejected multiple bids from their Ligue 1 rivals which has opened the door for Liverpool.

Mohamed Salah left Anfield at the end of last season to provide a vacancy at right wing and left-footed Akliouche is comfortable in that position along with the number 10 role.

Akliouche has undertaken English lessons over the past year and would be open to a move to the Premier League, PA understands.

However, no club has met the valuation of Monaco for the 24-year-old so far during this transfer window.

Off the field, Liverpool have issued 432 lifetime bans and 115 indefinite suspensions in a crackdown on ticket touting.

In collaboration with Merseyside Police’s economic crime team, over £1.2 million in assets related to organised ticket touts has been detained, with two successful convictions in relation to Liverpool ticket touting and another due to appear in court next month.