Fabregas commits to Serie B club Como as player and shareholder
August 2 – Former Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas will become a shareholder at Italian Serie B club Como following his move to Italy.
Finance
Socios.com buys $100m stake in Barca Studios as club accelerates Web3 and blockchain strategies
August 2 – FC Barcelona has sold a 24.5% stake in Barca Studios, the club’s digital content and distribution hub, for $100 million to blockchain technology provider Chiliz.com, owner of the Socios.com Fan Token and NFT platform.
Real Madrid, Liverpool and Spurs load up on high value South Americans for new season
July 27 – There are 218 players from South America currently playing in Europe’s Big Five leagues, 100 of them from Brazil and 70 of them playing in Spain’s LaLiga.
Barca raise further €310m with additional 15% sale of future TV cash to Sixth Street
July 22 – Spanish giants Barcelona have sold another 15% of their La Liga television rights to US investment firm Sixth Street to generate funds to spend in the transfer market.
Same old Chelsea, always spending. US owners raise another £800m
July 22 – Chelsea’s new owners have raised £800 million in debt to help with future planning in the post-Abramovich era, focusing on revamping the squad and infrastructure.
Zhang’s liability for unpaid $225m debt raises questions over Inter Milan’s future
July 21 – Inter Milan owner Steven Zhang has failed to wriggle out of $255 million of outstanding debts held by Suning Xiaodian, loans that he personally guaranteed.
AC Milan €1.2bn sale stalled in US court as Elliott accused of keeping shareholders in dark
July 19 – A US judge has authorised a minority investor in AC Milan to obtain documents in a legal effort to block the hedge fund Elliott Investment Management LP from completing a €1.2 billion sale of the newly crowned Italian champions.
Mbappé at €230m is world’s most valuable player, €80m more than Haaland and Foden
July 15 – Kylian Mbappé has returned to the top of a ranking of the most valuable players in the world, with an astonishing market value of €230 million. This is more than €80 million more than the Manchester City duo Erling Haaland (€143 million) and Phil Foden (€140 million).
Fifpro issues red list of countries where players risk going unpaid
July 6 – Global football players union Fifpro has warned footballers about “systematic and widespread contractual violations” in football, singling out Algeria, China, Greece Libya, Romania, Saudi Arabia and Turkey as countries where these risks are high.
City Football Group confirm Italian ambition with €13m Palermo buy
July 4 – City Football Group have confirmed the acquisition of a majority stake in Palermo FC who will play in Serie B next season having worked their way back from Serie D having been relegated for declaring bankruptcy in 2019.
Barca confirm €207.5m sale of stake in TV rights to Sixth Street
July 1 – Barcelona have confirmed the sale of a 10% stake in their LaLiga TV rights for the next 25 years to US private equity firm Sixth Street.
Mexico’s Groupo Orlegi takes control of Spanish second tier’s Sporting Gijon
June 29 – Mexican consortium Grupo Orlegi has expanded its portfolio of football clubs following the acquisition of the Spanish second-division club Sporting Gijon.
Barca to sell off 10% of media rights for €200m
June 28 – Barcelona are reportedly on the verge of signing a €200 million sell off of 10% of their TV rights to US investment firm Sixth Street.
Derby County saga closing with property developer Clowes promising a rebuild
June 27 – Just weeks after American businessman Chris Kirchner pulled out of a deal to buy the club, local property developer David Clowes has had his bid to purchase former English champions Derby County accepted, bringing to an end months of uncertainty and turmoil.
Haaland for €60m, Palermo for €13m. City Football Group love a deal
June 27 – With the ink barely dry on Erling Haaland’s €60 million switch to Manchester City, the club’s owners are on the brink of snapping up former Serie A club Palermo for what could prove to be a bargain €13 million.