FSG in talks to sell minority stake in Liverpool to Amit Bhatia-led consortium

21 Jul 2026, 10:50 pm IST|
FSG in talks to sell minority stake in Liverpool to Amit Bhatia-led consortium
Image source

Fenway Sports Group is engaged in negotiations to sell a significant minority stake in Liverpool to a consortium led by Amit Bhatia and backed by his father-in-law Lakshmi Mittal, the billionaire Indian steel magnate. The potential deal would value the club at about £4.5bn, Fenway confirmed in a statement to the Financial Times that it had begun talks.

Amit Bhatia, best known as a co-owner of Queens Park Rangers, is identified as the head of the group pursuing the stake in Liverpool. Reports name Lakshmi Mittal as the financial backer; he is described as the billionaire Indian steel magnate and is Bhatia’s father-in-law. Fenway Sports Group, which owns Liverpool, acknowledged the negotiations in a communication with the Financial Times on 21 July 2026.

The discussions centre on a significant minority shareholding rather than a controlling interest in the club. The valuation attached to the potential transaction is approximately £4.5bn, a figure that has been cited in the coverage originating from the Financial Times. Those figures frame the scale of the proposal that has been put before Liverpool’s current owners.

Details supplied in the initial reporting emphasise the identities of the parties involved: a group led by Amit Bhatia and financially supported by Lakshmi Mittal. The combination of Bhatia’s involvement as a football club co-owner and Mittal’s role as a long-established industrial billionaire has been highlighted in the accounts of the approach. Fenway’s acknowledgment to the Financial Times served to confirm that formal conversations have begun.

Fenway Sports Group confirmed in a statement to the Financial Times that it had begun negotiations with a group led by Bhatia over a potential share sale that would value Liverpool at about £4.5bn. That confirmation provided the principal sourcing for media outlets reporting the story on 21 July 2026. The Financial Times coverage was referenced directly in the subsequent reporting.

The structure described in the reports identifies the move as a minority stake sale, with the prospective investor group organised under Bhatia’s leadership. Lakshmi Mittal’s involvement, reported as backing the consortium, was noted alongside Bhatia’s status as a Queens Park Rangers co-owner. Fenway remains the current owner of Liverpool and is the counterparty to the discussions.

Coverage of these negotiations has pointed to the scale of the valuation and the high-profile nature of the individuals attached to the proposal. Media reports on 21 July 2026 linked the Fenway statement to the Financial Times story that set out the potential £4.5bn valuation. The involvement of a consortium led by Amit Bhatia and backed by Lakshmi Mittal is the central element of the accounts published to date.

The parties have publicised only that formal talks have begun, with the prospective price tag cited at about £4.5bn. Fenway Sports Group’s acknowledgement to the Financial Times confirmed the existence of negotiations but did not set out a timetable or final terms.

LiverpoolAmit BhatiaLakshmi MittalFenway Sports GroupQueens Park Rangers