• Bhatia backed by father-in-law Lakshmi Mittal

• Minority stake deal values the club at £4.5bn

Liverpool’s owner is in talks over ­selling a minority stake to a consortium led by the former Queens Park Rangers co‑owner Amit ­Bhatia and backed by his father-in-law ­Lakshmi Mittal, the billionaire Indian steel magnate. The Guardian understands a sale of 30% of the club is being discussed, with an offer of around £1.35bn on the table.

Fenway Sports Group confirmed in a statement to the Financial Times that it had begun negotiations with a group led by Bhatia over a potential minority share sale that would value ­Liverpool at about £4.5bn.