Jeff Bezos Nears Deal to Buy Stake in Liverpool FC

Jeff Bezos is closing in on a deal to buy a stake in Liverpool Football Club, as part of a consortium that includes Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

The investment group, led by Amit Bhatia, son-in-law of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, is negotiating for more than the 30% stake initially reported, according to Sky News.

Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Liverpool's owner since 2010, could announce a deal within days.

The transaction would value the Premier League champions at £4.4 billion (€5.15bn), Sky News and Al Jazeera reported, one of the largest valuations ever placed on a football club. FSG bought Liverpool for just £300 million.

If completed, the deal would mark Bezos' first move into sports ownership. The Amazon founder previously explored bids for two NFL teams, the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Commanders, but decided against pursuing either.

Neither Liverpool nor FSG have commented on the reports.

Several American entrepreneurs have bought stakes in UK sports teams in the past few years, football chief among them.

US billionaires including Mark Walter, who owns Chelsea alongside Todd Boehly and majority shareholder Clearlake Capital, have led the way.

Woody Johnson holds a stake in Crystal Palace, joining fellow Americans Josh Harris and David Blitzer, who already control the club.

Bill Foley and actor Michael B. Jordan hold stakes in Bournemouth, while the Friedkin Group, led by Dan Friedkin, owns a majority stake in Everton.

One of the key drivers of this shift is the soaring popularity of football in the US, while other top sports leagues such as MLB and the NFL are steadily either closing their doors to new buyers or becoming unaffordable.

In contrast, buying into a Premier League club remains relatively affordable for tech and finance billionaires.

The trend has also been fuelled in part by the success of TV shows like Welcome to Wrexham and Ted Lasso in recent years.

However, this shift is not limited to football clubs or American investors alone. Several US investment groups are also taking a new interest in other UK sports, including rugby, cricket and motor racing.

Black Knight Sports and Entertainment, which also owns Bournemouth, completed its takeover of Premiership rugby club Exeter Chiefs at the end of June.

Pittsburgh-based Stonewood Capital Management became the first American owner of an English rugby club when it bought a stake in Cornish Pirates in May.

Austrian energy drinks giant Red Bull has also moved into English rugby, taking full ownership of Newcastle Falcons, since renamed Newcastle Red Bulls.