September 20 – Clubs from the Big 5 clubs are not only the biggest buyers of players (by value) but they are also the biggest sellers. Only nine clubs outside the big-5 league countries are in the top 50 positions for transfer incomes, according to data from the CIES Football Observatory.
By David Owen
September 17 – PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) have stepped into the hot-seat vacated by KPMG as statutory auditors of FIFA. The world football body announced that the Bureau of the FIFA Council had appointed PwC Switzerland to the role.
September 16 – Chinese businessman Guochuan Lai has completed his £175 million acquisition of West Bromwich Albion following the deal being approved by the Premier League this week.
September 13 – Manchester City have spent over €1 billion on players since 2010, the most of any European club. In 2016, City also top the table spending €213 million. Manchester United are ranked third in spend since 2010, behind Chelsea, and second in the 2016 table, ahead of Juventus and Barcelona.
By David Owen
September 12 – The impact of a new kit deal with Adidas combined with reduced finance costs as a consequence of a refinancing of the club’s sizeable debt have triggered a turnaround in Manchester United’s financial fortunes. The Old Trafford club today kicked off the 2015-16 Premier League full-year financial reporting season by unveiling a pre-tax profit of £48.8 million for the year to June 30. This compared with a prior-year loss of £3.6 million.
August 9 – Chinese money doesn’t always get what it wants. The sale of Premier League club Hull City by Assem Allam (pictured) and his son Ehab to a consortium lead by multi-millionaire siblings Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li looks to have collapsed after it appears members of the consortium failed to pass the Premier League Owners’ and Directors test.
August 6 – With the transfer window closed, now comes the financial reckoning. Who snagged a bargain and who was ripped off? Much of that analysis can only be done once the players start putting in performances on the pitch, but it doesn’t prevent some benchmark valuations.
September 4 – Say what you like about the way newly-relegated Newcastle United have handled footballing affairs in recent seasons, but it is hard not to admire their business acumen.
By Paul Nicholson
September 2 – While Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) remain tight-lipped about the possible sale of the club, the Chinese consortium that has made an offer for the club of £800 million is rumoured to be prepared to raise that amount to £1 billion, despite the club’s poor performance last season.
September 1 – English Premier League clubs forked out more than £155 million on transfer deadline day as summer window spending reached an eye-watering record £1.165 billion.
August 31 – Hull City, who surprised everyone with a storming start to their return to the Premier League winning their first two games, expect to be under new ownership within the next two weeks according to vice-chairman Ehab Allam.
By Paul Nicholson
August 24 – Chinese conglomerate Everbright’s offer for Premier League Liverpool is real and in discussion, sources close to the firm have told Insideworldfootball. Reports earlier to day in the Asian business press that Everbright knew nothing of the proposal are wrong, and the proposed £800 million acquisition is very much alive.
By Paul Nicholson
August 24 – One step forward, one step back? China’s march into Premier League football club ownership seems to have faltered in the case of Liverpool but looks to be progressing with Hull City.
August 23 – The huge amounts spent by Manchester United on Paul Pogba and Juventus on Gonzalo Higuain are in line with industry standards on transfer spend, according to analysis by Football Benchmark, the research division of KPMG’s sports practice.
August 22 – Liverpool could be the next Premier League club to come under Chinese ownership if a reported bid of £800 million is accepted by American owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG).