Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the owner of Liverpool Football Club, is in advanced talks to sell a significant minority stake to a consortium led by Queens Park Rangers co-owner Amit Bhatia and backed by his father-in-law, billionaire steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal. The deal would value Liverpool at approximately £4.5bn, according to a statement from FSG to the Financial Times.
FSG confirms negotiations
“An investment consortium led and managed by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club,” the FSG statement read. The Boston-based investment group, which also owns the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Penguins, paid £300m to acquire Liverpool in 2010 and stands to achieve a substantial return on investment if the sale proceeds.
The consortium, backed by the Mittal family with managed assets of £16bn, has the financial resources to complete the transaction. FSG has previously held discussions over a minority sale without reaching an agreement, but this bid appears more serious.
Valuation raises eyebrows
Industry sources expressed surprise at the £4.5bn valuation, which far exceeds recent sales of comparable Premier League clubs. Chelsea was bought by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital for £2.5bn in 2022, though that was a distressed sale due to sanctions on former owner Roman Abramovich. In 2024, Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased a 25% stake in Manchester United at a valuation of £3.9bn.
Bhatia steps down from QPR
In a sign of the consortium's commitment, Bhatia resigned as a director of QPR on Tuesday after 19 years. The London-born entrepreneur has held multiple leadership roles at QPR since investing in the club in 2007. “QPR has been a deeply important part of my life, and of my family’s life … I step back from my formal responsibilities with pride, gratitude and affection,” he said.
Liverpool is currently in the United States for a pre-season tour under new head coach Andoni Iraola, starting with a match against Sunderland in Nashville on Saturday.
