China’s Suning opens talks on €900m sale of Inter Milan
January 15 – Italy’s Inter Milan may have new owners in a matter of months. Suning Holdings has reportedly opened talks with venture capital partners over selling its stake.
Finance
Southampton losses widen to £76m
By David Owen
January 13 – Southampton, the south coast club enjoying a strong season under Austrian manager Ralph Hasenhüttl, have become the latest Premier League side to report a big loss for the covid-impacted 2019-20 financial year.
MLS takes over sale of Real Salt Lake franchise with $350m+ price tag
January 13 – The sale of MLS side Real Salt Lake has been taken over by the league itself after current owner after owner Dell Loy Hansen failed to complete a deal by a January 8 deadline.
Man City owner City Football Group adapts strategy with Club Bolivia ‘partnership’
By Paul Nicholson
January 12 – City Football Group, owner of 12 clubs including Premier League Manchester City, has expanded its network and deal-making strategy with the addition of Bolivia’s Club Bolivar as its first ‘Partner Club’.
KPMG reports on Covid’s money massacre at Europe’s financial elite
By Paul Nicholson
January 11 – The scale of Covid’s decimation of the football industry’s revenue infrastructure is highlighted again in KPMG Football Benchmark’s annual review of Europe’s champion clubs.
Arsenal take out £120m Covid loan
By David Owen
January 8 – Arsenal, the North London club who have perked up recently under Mikel Arteta while remaining in the lower half of the Premier League table, are taking out a £120 million government loan to help them to navigate their way through the covid crisis.
Apollon FC gives crypto Fan Token holders right to pick next season’s kit
January 8 – Cypriot top flight club Apollon FC are giving their fans the opportunity to vote on the club’s Puma kit for the 2021/22 season. Earlier this season the club gave the fans the chance to select the starting 11 for a friendly against Aris Limassol.
Rashford tops transfer value ranking at €165m, Alexander-Arnold top ranked defender
January 7 – Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford has topped a ranking of the player transfer values at €165 million, knocking PSG’s Kylian Mbappé (€149.4 million) off the top.
As other big clubs suffer financial blues, Chelsea post £32m profit
By David Owen
January 4 – Chelsea may be having an up and down time on the pitch at present. But the West London club have achieved something that few of their Premier League opponents will manage, by reporting a reasonable profit for the covid-blighted 2019-20 season.
PMG adds fourth club to portfolio with AS Nancy buy
January 4 – Pacific Media Group have acquired AS Nancy, the French Ligue 2 outfit who will become the fourth club in Chinese-American consortium’s portfolio.
ALK completes acquisition of Burnley
January 4 – The £120 million majority sale of Premier League Burnley to Velocity Sports Partners (VSP), the sports investment arm of ALK Capital, was completed just before the start of the New Year.
ALK closes in on £120m deal for Premier League Burnley
December 30 – A sixth Premier League club could come under US ownership this week with reports that ALK Capital are on the verge of completing their £120 million deal for Burnley.
Ligue 1 leaders Lille pushed into Christmas sale to Callisto Sporting
December 23 – French Ligue 1 leaders Lille have been sold to a Callisto Sporting, a subsidiary of Luxembourg-based investment fund Merlyn Partners.
Bayern profits down by €40m but revenue buoyed by Champions League win
December 23 – German giants Bayern Munich – who will go for the treble of national, European and World titles in the same season at the delayed Club World Cup next February – have released financial results for the 2019/20 season showing a revenue drop €52 million.
49ers ready to touch down in Leeds with another 15%
December 21 – Premier League Leeds United are selling a further 15% stake to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers in a deal that will reportedly value the club at £240 million, and take their stake to 25%.