The consortium involving Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns more of Liverpool than initially thought after it emerged the collaboration of billionaires has a 38% share in the club.
Initial suggestions were the investment was “in the range of 30%” but the Press Association understands it was actually closer to 40%.
It is also understood there is an option for 1892 Holdings – led by British-Indian millionaire businessman Amit Bhatia – to buy a controlling stake in Liverpool in the next 12 months but that is not a formal commitment.
However, when the deal was announced last week sources stressed that while the transaction documents provided flexibility for how the relationship may evolve over time it was not an indication of either party’s future intentions, nor was it a predetermined path towards another transaction.
Liverpool’s majority owners Fenway Sports Group were not seeking investment out of financial need but the opportunity to bring in the likes of Bhatia, Bezos – who is part of K5 Sports who will be represented on an expanded board by Bryan Baum – and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, whose wife Elaine also has a seat on the board, was seen as advantageous.
Bhatia, the son-in-law of Indian steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal and former co-owner of QPR, has been FSG’s primary partner throughout negotiations and will become the new vice-chairman.
The investment values the club between five and six billion US dollars.
It will not, however, have any impact on Liverpool’s transfer strategy for the remainder of the transfer window or change the budget to which they are operating.
Those decisions, both from a footballing and financial perspective, will continue to be led by Liverpool’s sporting operation.