Bezos consortium's Reds stake higher than first believed

A consortium involving Amazon founder Jeff Bezos now owns a greater stake in Liverpool than initially acknowledged. The initial estimates suggested the investment was around 30%, but it has since been revealed to be closer to 40%. Additionally, there's an option for 1892 Holdings – led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia – to acquire a controlling stake in Liverpool within the next year.

However, this is not a formal commitment, and sources emphasized that the deal's documents provided flexibility for the relationship to evolve over time, without indicating either party's future intentions or a predetermined path to another transaction.

Liverpool's majority owners, Fenway Sports Group, were not seeking investment due to financial necessity but rather sought to bring in partners like Bhatia, Bezos - part of K5 Sports who will be part of an expanded board represented by Bryan Baum - and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, whose wife Elaine also holds a seat on the board.

This move was deemed advantageous. Bhatia, son-in-law of Indian steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal and former co-owner of QPR, became FSG's primary partner during negotiations and will now serve as vice-chairman.

The investment values the club between five and six billion US dollars, but it will not impact Liverpool's transfer strategy for the remainder of the transfer window or alter the financial budget they operate within. Decisions regarding footballing and financial matters will continue to be guided by Liverpool's sporting operation.