Liverpool thread

[Oggiman]

Liverpool have agreed a surprise deal for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo to join on loan for the season.

The deal for the 27-year-old, who signed a new Barca contract that runs until 2031 last year, includes an option to buy for around £47.14m (€55m).

Araujo will arrive in the UK on Sunday to undertake a medical and complete his temporary switch to Liverpool. The Uruguay international joined Barcelona B in 2018 before being promoted to the first team in 2019.

The 27-year-old centre-back will add to Andoni Iraola's options at the heart of his defence following the departure of Ibrahima Konate to Real Madrid and fitness concerns over relatively inexperienced 21-year-old Jeremy Jacquet.

The summer signing from Rennes has made fewer than 100 senior career appearances and has not featured in pre-season yet after missing the second half of last season following shoulder surgery.

 

[Oggiman]

A consortium including the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is closing in on a deal to buy a roughly one-third stake in Liverpool.

Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the Anfield club's controlling shareholder since 2010, is preparing to make an announcement about a transaction as soon as this week.

The deal will see Mr Bezos participate in an investor group alongside Eduardo Saverin, one of the co-founders of the social network Facebook.

The syndicate is led by Amit Bhatia, the son-in-law of steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal and until recently a shareholder in Championship club Queens Park Rangers.

If completed, the deal would install a trio of the world's wealthiest individuals as co-owners of the Reds, one of the most successful teams in the history of English football.

Mr Bezos alone has a fortune estimated by Forbes at over £207bn ($280bn), while Mr Saverin is said to be worth over £23.7bn ($32bn).

Their investment in Liverpool will reportedly value the club at £4.4bn ($6bn), making it one of the sport's richest-ever deals.

Amazon founder Bezos has an estimated fortune of over £207bn
While Mr Bezos has not previously been linked to deals in football, his prospective involvement in the Liverpool FC consortium underlines the extent to which sport is now viewed by wealthy investors as an asset class in its own right.

Mr Saverin, who is 44 years old, was part of a consortium which assembled an unsuccessful takeover bid for Chelsea FC during the 2022 auction triggered by Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

One insider said the deal was now expected to be slightly larger than previously thought, potentially involving a stake of over 30 per cent.

Nevertheless, if its valuation hits £4.4bn ($6bn), the deal will reinforce the huge financial success that FSG has enjoyed during its 16 years as the club's owner.

The Boston Red Sox owner acquired Liverpool for just £300m with the club in a troubled state financially.

The arrival of such a powerful consortium will fuel expectations that its members will ultimately seek outright control of the Reds.

A spokesperson for FSG said last month: "An investment consortium led, managed, and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club."

FSG declined to comment further on the potential timing of a deal.

A spokesman for the consortium led by Mr Bhatia also declined to comment.

The last time a stake in Liverpool changed hands was in 2023, when Dynasty Equity bought a small interest valuing it at more than £3.3bn ($4.5bn).

Who are Bhatia and Bezos?

Bhatia is a 46-year-old British Indian entrepreneur who has an investment banking background.

He currently manages a multi-asset investment firm called AyBe Capital, which invests in a range of diversified sectors including technology, media, property and real estate, consumer retail, and health.

Bhatia is married to Vanisha Mittal Bhatia, who is the daughter of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal.

Bezos is one of the most famous businessmen in the world and the owner of e-commerce giant Amazon, which he founded in 1994 out of his Seattle garage.

His other investments include aerospace company Blue Origin and venture capital firm Nash Holdings, which is the ownership vehicle for The Washington Post.

Read HERE

 

[Oggiman]

A consortium including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos bought close to 40% of Liverpool from Fenway Sports Group (FSG).

It was initially reported that 1892 Holdings had bought about a third of the club, but - it is actually about 38%.

There is also an option for the consortium to buy a controlling stake in Liverpool in the next 12 months, though that does not involve a formal commitment.

In a statement on Friday, FSG confirmed it had entered into a "definitive agreement" for the sale of a "strategic minority investment" to 1892 Holdings.

The group - named after Liverpool's founding year - is led by British-Indian millionaire businessman Amit Bhatia and also includes Bezos and billionaire Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

Bhatia will become Livetpool's vice-chairman and join an expanded board pending regulatory approval.

The son-in-law of Indian billionaire businessman Lakshmi Mittal, he had been a director and co-owner of Queens Park Rangers for 18 years before relinquishing his stake in the club last month.

The deal is understood to value Liverpool between £5bn and £6bn.

 

[Oggiman]

Inter Milan have agreed a £30m (€35m) deal with Liverpool for Curtis Jones.

The deal was agreed late on Wednesday night and the player has been given permission to travel for a medical.

Jones' move to Inter will bring an end to his 16-year association with Liverpool, having joined the club at the age of nine.

After making his Liverpool first-team debut in the 2018-19 season, Jones appeared 228 times for the club, scoring 22 goals.

 

[Oggiman]

Liverpool appear likely to break an extraordinary 134-year-old record this campaign, given Curtis Jones has followed fellow England internationals John Stones and Djed Spence to Inter Milan.

Formalities were completed on Friday after the clubs agreed a deal that could eventually reach £35m. It was the right solution for Jones, who was frustrated by not being a regular starter, and Liverpool, who risked losing another talent for nothing  in 12 months.

Jones was unveiled as an Inter player on Friday, but the right solution does not always mean the best. It is healthy for Jones to pursue a new adventure and experience a different way of life and football, hoping it will be a catalyst for him to get back into Thomas Tuchel’s plans. It is impossible to say, however, that his departure does not create a chasm.

For the first time since Liverpool came into existence in 1892, the prospect of them going through the season without fielding a player who was born in the city for a game is real. The Kop used to sing about having “a Scouser in our team”, but now the well is dry

 

[Oggiman]

Liverpool have completed the signing of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain.

Barcola has agreed a five-year contract at Anfield. Liverpool will pay a guaranteed £106m for the winger, with add-ons potentially taking the fee to £123m.

"It's a great pride to be able to play for Liverpool. I'm very happy. It took a long time but I'm really happy today to be able to play for Liverpool and all I want is to be on the pitch and be able to play. I hope to achieve very big things. First of all, winning the Premier League - it's one of my biggest dreams in my life. It is to do that and to stay in this team in the long term - that's why I signed a long contract - and I hope I can do it."

 

[Oggiman]

Liverpool have completed the signing of 18-year-old goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans from Belgian side Genk in a deal that could be worth up to £30m including add-ons.

Brughmans has agreed a six-year contract with Liverpool and will remain at Genk on loan this season before moving to Anfield ahead of the 2027-28 campaign.

The Belgian keeper, who is 6ft 7in, has started all four of Genk's games this season and has represented his country at youth level.

Reports suggest there is an inital fee alongside follow up payments and the figure of around £30m is at the top of what can be achieved.

As it stands, Liverpool have Alisson, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman and Vitezslav Jaros as their goalkeeping options, but with Alisson's contract expiring next summer and Mamardashvili's future looking uncertain, Brughmans will be an option from the summer of 2027 onwards.

 

[Oggiman]

Liverpool have officially announced a major new shirt sponsorship agreement with Turkish Airlines.

The lucrative five-year deal, which begins in 2027 and is worth approximately £300million, represents a watershed moment for the club, marking the first change in main shirt sponsorship in 17 years.

The partnership will generate more than £60million annually for the Reds, significantly strengthening its commercial revenue streams and providing enhanced financial resources for investment in playing talent and infrastructure. The agreement will see Turkish Airlines' branding prominently displayed on the front of Liverpool's men's, women's, and Academy match kits4, thus elevating the airline's profile.

The change comes as Standard Chartered, which has served as Liverpool's main shirt sponsor since 20105, transitions into a new role as a global partner beginning in the 2027/28 season. This significant commercial evolution reflects the club's continued growing commercial appeal globally.

The deal with Turkish Airlines substantially surpasses Standard Chartered's current arrangement of £50million per season, and is understood to be the most lucrative 'front of shirt only' sponsorship deal in Premier League history. That further underscores Liverpool's commercial strength and attractiveness to international brands.

Ben Latty, Liverpool FC's Chief Commercial Officer, expressed considerable enthusiasm about this fresh chapter with Turkish Airlines, declaring: “This is a milestone announcement for us and we are delighted to welcome Turkish Airlines as our main club partner from June 2027. The front of the Liverpool shirt holds a special place in the history of our club. Turkish Airlines is a globally recognised organisation with an extensive international network, and we look forward to beginning our partnership and building a strong relationship together.”

Turkish Airlines becomes just the sixth front of shirt sponsor in Liverpool’s history, following Hitachi (1979-1982), Crown Paints (1982-1988), Candy (1988-1992), Carlsberg (1992-2010) and Standard Chartered (2010-2027) .

Ahmet Olmustur, Turkish Airlines CEO, said: “Liverpool Football Club is one of the World's most recognised and respected football clubs, with an exceptional heritage and a truly global community of supporters.

"We are very pleased that Turkish Airlines will become the Club’s Main Club Partner and that our name will take its place on one of the most iconic shirts in world sport. The agreement also marks an important new chapter in Turkish Airlines’ long-standing support for global sport. We believe in the unique power of sport to transcend borders and bring communities together. As we begin this new chapter, we look forward to moving forward together with Liverpool FC and its supporters around the world.”