Liverpool
What a Bezos-backed Liverpool stake could mean for this summer’s transfer plans
Liverpool’s proposed minority sale may change ownership, but it will not automatically reshape summer spending.
Liverpool could be on the brink of a significant change in ownership structure, with a consortium led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos reportedly closing in on a minority stake in the club.
Reaction among supporters has been split. Some are wary of any fresh investment, with memories still vivid of the Tom Hicks and George Gillett era, when the club was left in financial ruin before being sold to FSG in 2010. That history has naturally raised questions about the motives behind the proposed deal.
Others see the reported $1.9 billion injection of funds in a different light, believing it could strengthen Liverpool’s position in the market and allow for more ambitious transfer activity.
On Monday, it emerged that Bezos’s consortium was “closing in on a deal” to buy into Liverpool, with talks said to have “accelerated quickly”. There is no confirmed timetable, but the report suggests the matter could be wrapped up this week or next.
Even so, the timing would not alter Liverpool’s business in the current window. The club are already being linked with further moves after bringing in Jérémy Jacquet ($80 million), Victor Muñoz ($46 million) and Ronald Araújo on loan, yet more additions are still viewed as necessary for Andoni Iraola’s first season in charge.
Supporter frustration has been building over the lack of activity, although Liverpool are currently working on a major deal for Bradley Barcola that could rise to nearly $200 million. They are also said to be interested in his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Ibrahim Mbaye, with more recruitment in other positions still possible before the Sep. 1 deadline.
The key point, though, is that new investment does not automatically unlock extra spending power. The Premier League’s Squad Cost Ratio rules restrict spending according to revenue, not ownership wealth, so the money available in the transfer market is not dictated by who owns the club.
“The deal could be a straight share sale by FSG to the new group, in which case there would be no financial implications for the club itself,” soccer finance expert Kieran Maguire told BBC Sport.
Spirit of Shankly have also asked for clarity, questioning what a 30 percent stake would bring in return and whether the consortium would have any role in control or board representation. Their concern, they say, is whether the proposed buyers have the club’s best interests at heart.
Chelsea
Ngumoha explains why Liverpool move was an easy call after Chelsea exit
Ngumoha says Liverpool offered him a clearer route to first-team football than Chelsea ever could.
Rio Ngumoha has described his switch from Chelsea to Liverpool as an obvious decision, saying the promise of a clearer route to first-team football made the move straightforward.
Chelsea were frustrated to lose a highly rated youngster, with Liverpool eventually paying a minimum of $3.7 million after a tribunal. But for Ngumoha, the attraction of a defined pathway at Anfield outweighed everything else.
“I feel like I needed a new challenge,” Ngumoha told The Guardian. “Liverpool gave me a new pathway. The plan that they set for me was straightforward. It was a no-brainer. They just said if I prove myself then they know that I would definitely be a star for them in the making.”
The 18-year-old has already begun to justify that faith. After making his debut in the 2024-25 season, he went on to feature 29 times the following campaign, a year highlighted by a late winner against Newcastle United in the Premier League.
Arne Slot provided the platform for his breakthrough, and Ngumoha is now benefiting from fresh leadership. Andoni Iraola has given him regular starts and useful minutes from the bench, with the forward generally impressing and adding two assists.
Ngumoha also sees the Ballon d’Or as a realistic target in the future, helped by the wider impact of Harry Kane’s success. “Harry Kane winning the Ballon d’Or is definitely a big thing,” said the teenager. “It’s also helped English football now because everyone’s seen one of us win the Ballon d’Or , it is definitely encouraging many more people to want to be known as the best player in the world.
“For me, I would like to achieve it and I think I can do it.”
He will have the chance to discuss that ambition with Kane during the current international break, after being named once more in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.
Ngumoha’s departure also reflects a familiar pattern. Chelsea’s habit of collecting elite young talent has often led to players seeking opportunities elsewhere, and he joins the likes of Marc Guéhi, Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento and Michael Olise in leaving Stamford Bridge in search of a clearer route to senior soccer.
Even so, Chelsea’s approach has not changed. Last summer they spent $167 million on four players aged 22 or under, yet minutes have remained hard to find. Dastan Satpayev has already gone on loan, while Geovany Quenda, Marco Palestra and Valentín Barco have managed only four Premier League starts between them.
Borussia Dortmund
Five Possible Moves for Estêvão, Ranked
Estêvão is short of minutes at Chelsea, and several major clubs could enter the picture.
Estêvão’s place in Xabi Alonso’s plans appears secure in theory, but the evidence on the pitch has told a different story. The Brazilian youngster has found minutes hard to come by in a system built around a back three and wingbacks, which has left little space for wide forwards. He was even left on the bench when Chelsea exited the Carabao Cup on penalties to Liverpool last month.
There was a reminder of what he can offer when Alonso shifted to a 4-2-3-1 for the recent win over Manchester United. Estêvão started on the right and produced a strong display. Yet that momentum did not last, with another formation change ahead of the defeat to Sunderland before the international break sending him back to the bench.
BBC Sport reported in September that Estêvão was among a small group of “untouchable” Chelsea players, alongside Moisés Caicedo, Cole Palmer and João Pedro. Even so, a player of his ability, and one who has long attracted attention, could eventually begin to look elsewhere if the current situation does not improve.
If that point arrives, several destinations could enter the picture.
Paris Saint-Germain remain a logical name in any discussion of elite attacking talent, particularly after their summer reshuffle. But with Lee Kang-in, Bradley Barcola and Gonçalo Ramos already moved on, and with Maghnes Akliouche, Ferran Torres and Mika Godts arriving, they are more likely to trust their current options. They have also been hit by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s ACL tear, though Luis Enrique still has plenty to work with.
Liverpool is another obvious possibility. After Mohamed Salah’s departure in the summer, Andoni Iraola has used Bradley Barcola, Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha on the right wing, but that position may still need greater certainty. A Chelsea sale to a Premier League rival would be difficult to imagine, yet the financial logic is there.
Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, would make sense only if the situation worsened and Chelsea agreed to a loan in January. They may not be as imposing as they once were, but the club still has a reputation for developing talent. Estêvão may not be the ideal Niko Kovać wide player, but Dortmund would be one to watch if temporary respite becomes the next step.
Liverpool
Van Dijk injury update raises fresh concern for Liverpool
Van Dijk has left the Netherlands camp injured, with Liverpool monitoring a problem that has lingered for weeks.
Virgil van Dijk has withdrawn from the Netherlands squad for their November camp because of an injury that has reportedly been troubling him for close to a month.
The update was understated, with the defender simply ruled out as “not fit enough” to take part. For Liverpool, it is another reminder of how heavily they have leaned on their captain this season.
Van Dijk’s place in international football had not been entirely secure either. The 35-year-old was persuaded by incoming head coach Xavi Hernández to keep the armband, and he brought up a century of caps against Serbia last month.
At club level, the reliance has been even clearer. Iraola has started Van Dijk in all 10 Premier League matches this season, underlining his importance to the side’s structure. He was given a rare rest in the Champions League, though his team still conceded three goals after he came off the bench against LASK.
That appearance followed the previous 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, a match in which he finished with discomfort. “I had a little knock in the end on my calf which is pretty painful,” the Dutchman told reporters. The Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele later reported that Van Dijk has been “managing a little niggle” since then.
The issue has been downplayed for now, and there is no suggestion that the defender cannot play through it if required. The Netherlands remain well placed to reach the Nations League quarterfinals and have enough defensive depth to cover his absence, even if their captain’s fitness will continue to draw attention.
