The buying and selling of football clubs by billionaires and investment groups has been growing for some years all over the world.
One of the most obvious examples of this trend is the acquisition of English Premier League clubs by Arab, Russian (although these diminished after the conflict in Ukraine) and American funds.
Over the past decade, Arab investors in particular have poured billions of dollars into English soccer, buying up some of the league’s most iconic clubs.
These investments have transformed the landscape of English football as a whole, boosting it above the rest of the European leagues.
In 2008, for example, the Abu Dhabi United Group, led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, bought the Manchester City, one of the clubs with the longest history in English football, but with the fewest number of awards. Since then, the team has won numerous titles, including several Premier League titles.
In 2021, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund bought Newcastle Unitedand since then the club has embarked on a spending spree, attracting greats from around the world.
In 2022, the Chelsea was acquired for 2.5 billion pounds by a consortium led by American financier Todd Boehly and the private equity group Clearlake Capital.
The same year, an investment group led by businessman Bill Foley acquired Bournemouth for 150 million dollars.
On the other side of the English Channel, in 2010, Qatar Sports Investments bought the Paris Saint-Germain, which has since become one of the most dominant teams in French football. The club has won numerous domestic titles, including ten Ligue 1 championships, and also reached the UEFA Champions League final.
Criticism of the sale of clubs
These club purchases have also faced criticism from some quarters. Critics argue that the influx of money from foreign investors has led to a widening gap between the bigger clubs and the smaller ones.
They also maintain that the new owners do not know the traditions of each institution and that the funds, in many cases, come from non-transparent activities.
They want to buy Tottenham
The latest news in relation to the purchase and sale of English clubs is the one that arrives this Wednesday, February 15 from the writing of the Financial Times: Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi is preparing a US$3.75 billion takeover bid for Tottenham Hotspur.
Najafi, chairman of MSP Sports Capital, is putting together the offer with a consortium of investors to value the north London club’s equity at around $3bn, plus around $750m of debt.
The offer is structured in such a way that MSP Sport Capital and its partners contribute 70 per cent of the total price and that the rest is completed with Arab funds, especially from Abu Dhabi.
The club’s last major title was the League Cup in 2008, which has generated discontent from fans.
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