Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has been speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside about Liverpool’s potential investment from a consortium lead by British-Indian millionaire businessman Amit Bhatia: “You have only got to go abroad to see the interest in the club.
“It means you have potential investment which will get your name noticed – not just at Anfield on matchday, but all over the world when those matches are broadcast to 109 different countries.
“You associate the success of a football club with an individual and the two can benefit from each other.”
Why would FSG sell a stake in Liverpool?
“FSG bought Liverpool football club for £300m when it had been under a distressed time under Tom Hicks and George Gillett. FSG felt it had the skills to turn the club around, and it can be strongly argued that was the case.
“John Henry is not red and white if you cut him through, and that is not a criticism, it is an acknowledgement. If the stories are true that this is a sale of about 30% of LFC for about £1.3bn, he will have got his money back four or five times.
“He will still own over 60% of LFC and it is a fantastic deal. To a certain extent, it is a no-brainer.”
Why would Jeff Bezos be part of the consortium?
“Can you imagine how the LFC global brand – highly successful, highly regarded – could work in conjunction with Amazon?
“Is this an opportunity to have some crossover in terms of product and services? Is this an opportunity for Amazon to get its name on the front or side of the shirt of LFC?
“And Amazon Prime is also a broadcaster. Are there broadcasting synergies and benefits here? There’s potential of a win-win deal for all parties.”
Would this increase Liverpool’s transfer budget?
“Fans who are getting excited will have to dampen down that enthusiasm.
“We will have to remember the ability of a club to spend in the market is dictated by the Uefa FSR rules and the incoming Premier League FSR rules, which limit the amount of money that an owner can put into a club which goes into the players’ budget.”
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