Jim Ratcliffe tried to get Jeff Bezos to invest in Manchester United’s massive stadium project. More than once, apparently. But Bezos wasn’t interested. Now he’s circling a rival Premier League club instead.
Ratcliffe, the INEOS billionaire who bought a 27.7 percent stake in United for £1.25 billion back in early 2024, has been pushing a $4.2 billion plan to rebuild Old Trafford into a 100,000-seat mega-stadium. That would make it England’s biggest and the second-largest in Europe behind Barcelona’s Camp Nou. But funding that kind of project takes serious money, and Ratcliffe reportedly reached out to both Bezos and Elon Musk to get them on board.
Neither took the bait.
Now Bezos, worth an estimated $246 billion, is reportedly in talks to buy a 30 percent stake in Liverpool from Fenway Sports Group. According to The Guardian, the Amazon founder has already held discussions with Amit Bhatia, whose consortium previously ran Queens Park Rangers and has made a provisional offer of £1.35 billion for the stake.
FSG confirmed the interest on Wednesday. An investment consortium led by Bhatia is exploring a strategic minority investment in the club, a spokesperson said. Bezos has looked at buying NFL teams before like the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks but never seriously considered Premier League ownership until now. The 2026 World Cup might have something to do with that shift.
Liverpool fans are mixed on the idea. Andy, a lifelong supporter, put it plainly: It’s hard to know what new part-owners will actually do. Some deliver, some don’t. He acknowledged Bezos isn’t the most popular guy on the planet but added that you can’t say no to extra money coming into the club.
Liverpool’s rough year and a fresh start
The timing is interesting. Liverpool just sacked Arne Slot in May after a brutally disappointing season. The Telegraph called it the club’s most toxic campaign in 16 years. Slot’s team set an unwanted record by dropping 11 points from goals conceded after the 90th minute and losing five Premier League matches to stoppage-time goals. No other team has done that in a single season.
Then there was the death of Diogo Jota, which hit the squad hard. And Mohamed Salah publicly said he felt thrown under the bus after a 3-3 draw with Leeds in December. That caused a mess both inside the club and out.
FSG replaced Slot with former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola. The hope is he can get Liverpool back into title contention. The 2026-27 season starts August 23 at Newcastle, following a U.S. preseason tour with friendlies against Sunderland, Wrexham, and Leeds.
Ratcliffe’s United, meanwhile, is pressing ahead without Bezos or Musk. The stadium redevelopment is moving forward. The training facilities got a £50 million upgrade. There have been job cuts across the organization. Ratcliffe and INEOS control football operations now, but the Glazers still hold a majority stake. Whether those two things can work together long-term is an open question.
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