Barnsley look poised for hook-up with OGC Nice’s Chinese owners
August 22 – The sale of English Championship club Barnsley to Chinese businessman Chien Liew and his consortium will take at least another three weeks.
Finance
Aulas warns of big money Middle Eastern rivalries destabilising European game
August 21 – The president of Olympique Lyonnais, one of the leading voices to speak out over the size of the €222 million world record transfer of Neymar to French rivals Paris St Germain, has taken yet another opportunity to warn of the repercussions of the deal in terms of competitive imbalance.
Messi to Man City? €300m move under discussion, say reports
August 21 – It’s only a rumour at this stage but could it actually happen? Are Barcelona set to lose their most prized possession?
Man City lay the groundwork for CFG acquisition of La Liga’s Girona
By Paul Nicholson
August 17 – Manchester City owners City Football Group (CFG) look poised to complete the acquisition of their sixth club. La Liga’s Girona, promoted to Spain’s top flight this season, are currently hosting Man City and their management in a four-day training camp that ends today.
Neymar’s record fee is early, but £100m deals are set to become the norm, says PwC
By Mark Baber
August 16 – After analysing transfer activity at Europe’s top 20 clubs, global accountancy network price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC) has forecast transfer fees for individual players could surpass £100 million on a regular basis by 2025, with Neymar’s record fee of £198 million coming 5-7 years before trends would have suggested.
Buying spree? PSG eye Belgium’s Mouscron as satellite club
August 15 – Paris Saint-Germain have been eyeing Belgian top flight club Mouscron as a potential satellite club with the Parisian club keen on offering its homegrown players more playing opportunity.
Palace, Chelsea and Toon Army make it a bumper start for Premier League attendances
August 15 – The Premier League’s three-day opening weekend with fixtures across Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday smashed the opening round attendance figures of last season. With 407,000 tickets available to fans across the 10 home fixtures – more than 6,000 tickets over last 2016/17 – just 8,030 were unsold compared to 16,116 last season.
Swansea City poised to take ownership of Liberty Stadium
August 15 – Premier League Swansea City is close to taking ownership of its Liberty Stadium from the local council on a 30-year lease.
Southampton sold: Liebherr hands over control to China’s Gao family
By Paul Nicholson
August 14 – Southampton owner Katarina Liebherr has finally concluded the sale of control of the club to Chinese investors. In a letter to fans Liebherr said that she has entered into partnership with the Gao family.
Las Vegas rolls the dice with new USL franchise for 2018
August 14 – Probably the worst kept secret of the USL, the second-tier of professional leagues in the US, has become official. Las Vegas will have a team playing in the 2018 competition.
West Ham are most expensive club to watch in PL, followed by Arsenal and Chelsea
By Paul Nicholson
August 10 – West Ham are the most expensive club for an adult and two children to watch top flight Premier League football, costing £150 for the three-person outing. In contrast the same outing to Bournemouth would cost £44, and £47 at Newcastle.
Lyon’s Aulas says PSG’s ‘bubble’ spend on Neymar is unbalancing football stability
August 10 – Neymar’s €222 million record-breaking move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain has upset the balance of French football according to Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas.
QPR boost season ticket sales with direct debit payment scheme
August 10 – Clubs usually collect season ticket money via a one-off payment from the fan and in some cases offering the fan finance via a third party lender. English championship side Queen’s Park Rangers is the latest club to change the model, allowing fans to pay for season tickets via Direct Debit, a move that has seen a 40% uplift in season ticket sales.
Rummenigge warns inflated fees like Neymar’s €222m will alienate fans
By Andrew Warshaw
August 9 – Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is the latest footballing figurehead to express concern over the €222 million world record transfer of Neymar, saying all major stakeholders should “sit round the table” to discuss the whole question of inflated fees in order to prevent fans switching off from football.
Barca boss Bartomeu says Neymar is history, but not all the €222m will go on new players
August 8 – Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has broken his silence over the manner in which Neymar left the club for Paris St-Germain.