Liverpool stake sold to 1892 Holdings reported at about 38%

The minority stake in Liverpool acquired by 1892 Holdings amounts to about 38% of the Premier League club, according to fresh reporting cited by BBC Sport. The figure is considerably higher than the range of approximately 30% to one-third that circulated when the transaction was announced last week.

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Fenway Sports Group confirmed on Friday that it had entered a definitive agreement to sell a minority equity stake in Liverpool to 1892 Holdings. FSG did not publicly specify the percentage in its announcement, but the new account, attributed to sources familiar with the deal, places the consortium's holding close to 40%. FSG retains majority ownership and control of the club.

1892 Holdings is led and managed by Amit Bhatia, the former Queens Park Rangers co-owner. The investment group includes Bhatia and the Mittal Family Trusts, K5 Sports and EE Capital, the family office of Elaine and Eduardo Saverin. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the lead investor in the K5 Sports fund, while Saverin is a co-founder of Facebook.

Bhatia is set to become Liverpool's vice-chairman and join an expanded board. Elaine Saverin and K5 Sports founder Bryan Baum are also due to take board positions. Reporting around the agreement has said Bezos will not have a seat on the board, making his involvement an investment through K5 Sports rather than a direct management role at Anfield.

The Athletic has also reported that the agreement contains a mechanism allowing 1892 Holdings to pursue a controlling stake within the next 12 months. That possibility has not changed the club's present structure: FSG remains the majority shareholder, and the transaction announced so far is a minority investment. Any future move to control would be a separate step and remains uncertain.

FSG bought Liverpool in 2010 for £300 million and has overseen a period that included two Premier League titles and the 2019 Champions League triumph. The size now reported for the 1892 Holdings stake makes the deal a significant change in Liverpool's ownership, even while day-to-day control stays with FSG. The exact financial terms have not been officially disclosed.