Spirit of Shankly (So S) has written to Liverpool to stress that ownershipthemes are "fundamental to us all" amid a consortium linked to Jeff Bezos that is understood to be closing in on a deal for a significant minority stake. Bezos, one of the three richest men in the world, has no prior experience in sports teams, though he was linked with NFL sides and owns The Washington Post and Blue Origin. His estimated personal wealth of £210 billion is more than enough to buy Liverpool outright, but the group also includes Eduardo Saverin, co‑founder of Facebook, and is headed by Amit Bhatia, the son‑in‑law of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal. Bhatia, the only major player with a sports‑business background, stepped down as co‑owner of Queens Park Rangers last month after 18 years.

So S asked for a meeting to clarify the consortium’s role on the board and the level of control the new investors would have on and off the pitch. The club’s current owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), have always welcomed outside investment and have seen the club’s value rise from the £300 million they paid in 2010 to around £4.5 bn today.

FSG’s latest statement said a "strategic minority investment" was being considered, but no further details have been released. Bhatia’s spokesperson declined to comment.