April 6 – Inter Milan could soon have a new Chinese member of their ownership group according to reports in Italy. Suning Commerce Group, which recently bought Chinese Super League side Jiangsu, is looking at European expansion with a 20% stake in the Serie A club.
Internazionale’s Indonesian president Erick Thohir, who bought Inter in early 2013, has been looking for Asian investors who could inject new money into the club.
The 20% stake in Inter would likely be made up of 14% of Thohir’s shareholding and 6% of former president Massimo Moratti’s, according to Italian reports. The cost of 20% is estimated at €60-90 million. Moratti has said that his share are not for sale.
One rumour in Italy is that Thohir would be prepare to sell his majority shareholding in its entirety.
In recent weeks Inter has boosted its Asian presence with the launch of the Inter Channel on smart phones and tablets into the Indonesian market on the Indosat platform – Indosat is the second biggest mobile phone operator in Indonesia with 70 million customers.
The club also has a deal with Le Sports, the former LeTV, which is the exclusive broadcast partner for the club’s TV channel in mainland China. That two-year agreement covers all platforms, including website and mobile.
Last month Inter confirmed a new five-year extension to their 20-year sponsorship agreement with Pirelli – estimated to be worth a minimum of €10 million a season with a large bonus clause for the Milan club based on results, potentially doubling in the event Inter win the Champions League in the next five years.
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