This summer, Liverpool is facing many changes both on the pitch and at the top level.
While new head coach Andoni Iraola is tasked with breathing new life into the team that only finished fifth in the Premier League last season, Fenway Sports Group (FSG) owner is also busy with a notable deal. That is the sale of a minority stake in the club to a group with the participation of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
1892 Holdings, led by former Queens Park Rangers co-owner Amit Bhatia, has bought around 30% of Liverpool. Bhatia will also become the club's new Vice President.
British media reported that the deal is worth about 1.65 billion USD, thereby bringing Liverpool's total value to about 5.5 billion pounds (7.45 billion USD).
This is one of the most notable deals in Premier League history and may pave the way for FSG to consider completely divesting from Liverpool in the coming years. Some reports suggest that 1892 Holdings has the right to choose to become a majority shareholder within the next 12 months if they wish.
However, the question is what changes this deal will bring to Liverpool. At the same time, how will Bezos' investment affect operations at Anfield?
For weeks, sources close to the deal described this as an investment in "significant minority ownership". However, the direct impact on Liverpool's transfer operations is unlikely to be significant.
Strict financial regulations of the Premier League and UEFA mean that even the richest clubs are limited in their spending capacity. The case of Newcastle United is an example.
After being acquired by a group led by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund in 2021, Newcastle is expected to quickly rise to the group of top clubs in the world.
Newcastle's destiny has improved significantly compared to the period under owner Mike Ashley. However, recent failures in the transfer market show that even the richest owners cannot create unlimited changes.
Regarding the transfer issue, this investment will not create any significant impact on what Liverpool can do in the transfer market because there are current regulations in both domestic and European football.
The Premier League has issued regulations on the cost ratio of the squad to comply with UEFA regulations. Liverpool will have to comply with both. Currently, they are still within the allowed limits, but this investment will not give them great flexibility to carry out transfer deals" - Dave Powell - football finance expert and lecturer at the University of Football Business (UCFB) - shared.
Thus, the appearance of a new group of investors does not mean that Liverpool will be able to comfortably spend on the transfer market. The greater value of the deal lies in strengthening the financial foundation, improving cash mobilization capacity and expanding the club's commercial relationships.
