I mean, we know that he couldn't raise the money elsewhere, not easily at least. Took something like six months, and ultimately failed to raise it through his business...starting to get a sense of why he struggled, given the downward slope of Lander's valuation.
I'd be a bit surprised if he effectively is buying the club on layaway, though; the reports were that it was financed through Macau, with the money coming from state-backed financial institutions. It'd be an incredibly risky venture on her part, and would cut against the seeming urgency that caused her to go with Gao in the first place. I suppose it's quite possible though that Liebherr lent some of the money, which would i) explain why she retained 20%, and ii) really raise questions about Gao's liquidity, if he couldn't secure loans for the full amount.
A little unsolicited advice for Mr. Gao: a football club might be a useful vehicle to get money out of China, but only if you can get your money out of the football club thereafter. It's much like gambling: never bet money you cannot afford to lose, and it increasingly feels like he may not have the money to absorb a bad year or two. It's never too early to start looking to sell on.
