August 6 – With the transfer window closed, now comes the financial reckoning. Who snagged a bargain and who was ripped off? Much of that analysis can only be done once the players start putting in performances on the pitch, but it doesn’t prevent some benchmark valuations.
September 4 – Say what you like about the way newly-relegated Newcastle United have handled footballing affairs in recent seasons, but it is hard not to admire their business acumen.
By Paul Nicholson
September 2 – While Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) remain tight-lipped about the possible sale of the club, the Chinese consortium that has made an offer for the club of £800 million is rumoured to be prepared to raise that amount to £1 billion, despite the club’s poor performance last season.
September 1 – English Premier League clubs forked out more than £155 million on transfer deadline day as summer window spending reached an eye-watering record £1.165 billion.
August 31 – Hull City, who surprised everyone with a storming start to their return to the Premier League winning their first two games, expect to be under new ownership within the next two weeks according to vice-chairman Ehab Allam.
By Paul Nicholson
August 24 – Chinese conglomerate Everbright’s offer for Premier League Liverpool is real and in discussion, sources close to the firm have told Insideworldfootball. Reports earlier to day in the Asian business press that Everbright knew nothing of the proposal are wrong, and the proposed £800 million acquisition is very much alive.
By Paul Nicholson
August 24 – One step forward, one step back? China’s march into Premier League football club ownership seems to have faltered in the case of Liverpool but looks to be progressing with Hull City.
August 23 – The huge amounts spent by Manchester United on Paul Pogba and Juventus on Gonzalo Higuain are in line with industry standards on transfer spend, according to analysis by Football Benchmark, the research division of KPMG’s sports practice.
August 22 – Liverpool could be the next Premier League club to come under Chinese ownership if a reported bid of £800 million is accepted by American owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG).
August 15 – The hate-hate relationship between Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley and and Rangers FC’s board is heading back to the Scottish courtrooms with Rangers claiming Sports Direct paid itself illegal dividends from Rangers Retail and suing former directors of the club for £4 million.
August 15 – The long march of Chinese money into Europe’s big leagues took a significant step into France’s Ligue 1 this weekend with Olympique Lyonnais owner OL Groupe announcing that Chinese investment fund IDG Capital Partners has agreed to take a 20% stake in the club.
August 11 – With Chinese money having taken positions in big league Italian and English clubs, France has attracted more Chinese interest with ORG Packaging having bought a controlling 60% stake in AJ Auxerre for €7 million.
August 10 – Hull City’s sale talks appear to be back on after the Allam family owners had announced that they had put negotiations on hold while they stabilised the club for the start of the Premier League season. The negotiations now appear to be with a Chinese group rather than the US consortium they were in talks with.
August 9 – World football’s record transfer fee has been smashed again after Paul Pogba’s return to Manchester United finally went through when the French international midfielder signed a five-year contract with the option to extend for a further year.
August 8 – After 30 years in charge, Silvio Berlusconi has agreed to sell Serie A giant AC Milan to a group of Chinese investors for €740 million, a price that includes about €220 million of debt.