Title-chasing Liverpool confirm £125m world record profit
By David Owen
February 8 – Liverpool have confirmed that they have become the first football club in history to report an annual pre-tax profit of more than £100 million.
Finance
Football Benchmark report suggests transfer trend towards younger players and loanees
By Paul Nicholson
February 8 – The spectacular drop in spending in the January transfer window of $325 million ($979 million in 2018 vs $654 million in 2019) is examined in the latest report from the KPMG Football Benchmark team.
Nantes chase Cardiff for first tranche of Sala transfer fee
February 7 – French club Nantes have reportedly requested the first tranche of payment from Cardiff City over the £15 million transfer of Emiliano Sala whose light aircraft went tragically missing over the English Channel a fortnight ago, with wreckage only recently discovered.
AS Roma get greenlight to start Stadio della Roma build
February 6 – Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi has greenlighted the build of AS Roma’s proposed new 52,000 all-seat stadium – Stadio della Roma – in the south of the city. Construction could begin by the end of the year.
Transfer bubble burst? Premier League spend tops out at £180m, £250m down on 2018
February 1 – Premier League spending in the mid-season January transfer window fell for the first time since 2012 with a quieter than usual deadline day capping off a distinctly unspectacular window.
Russian Demin buys back full ownership of Bournemouth
January 30 – Russian businessman Maxim Demin has regained full ownership of Premier League club Bournemouth after acquiring the 25% stake held by Chicago-based private equity firm Peak6 Investments.
Chelsea caught in FIFA probe over transfer of under-age foreign players
January 30 – FIFA could sanction Chelsea if the governing body finds the London club guilty of breaking regulations with regard to ‘transfers’ of more than 100 under-aged players from overseas. Chelsea maintain they have complied with the rules.
Man City owners CFG take lead role in $115m Sapphire Ventures investment fund
January 29 – Sapphire Ventures has raised $115 million for a new sport venture capital fund and has Manchester City owners, City Football Group (CFG) as one of its cornerstone backers.
China’s LionRock Capital buys Thohir’s 31% stake in Inter Milan
January 28 – Inter Milan is now under full Chinese ownership with private-equity fund LionRock Capital having the 31.05% stake retained in the club by in Indonesian Erick Thohir when he sold to Chinese electronics retailer Suning Commerce Group in 2016.
Bumper transfer profits can’t hide Gunners’ need for return to Champions League
By David Owen
January 27 – Arsenal, the North London team battling to secure the top-four Premier League finish that could see them return to the Champions League, have reported one of the biggest annual pre-tax profits ever recorded by a football club.
Real Madrid and Barca take over as top dogs of top-line financial performance
By David Owen
January 24 – Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona have taken over at the top of this year’s Deloitte Football Money League, relegating Manchester United to third place.
Beckham joins Class of 92 team-mates with Salford City ownership
January 24 – Former England captain David Beckham is set to take a 10% stake in Salford City, a non-league English club, joining a number of other members of Manchester United’s so-called Class of 92.
Liverpool and Juve lead in the battle of ‘transfer smarts’
January 22 – In an analysis of players whose current estimated transfer value exceeds their fee paid, Liverpool and Juventus come out as leaders when it comes to deal making on top talent with both clubs having three players in the top 20 list of players.
Ronaldo agrees €18.8m tax fraud fine in Spain
January 21 – Cristiano Ronaldo accepted an €18.8 million fine today when he appeared in a Madrid court over tax evasion charges.
US bankers underwrite debt to save second tier Spanish club CF Reus
January 22 – US investors Russell Platt and Clifton Onolfo have taken over financially troubled Spanish second-division club CF Reus that was under threat of closure.