No info - but after the match a couple of supporters were adamant a deal was struck with a Saudi group...interesting times ahead...also the American links...Leo Perlmans mates?
No matter who comes in with cash, KLD just HAS to be the controlling voice in the boardroom to keep the club going in the same direction
With parachute money I’ve no big concerns if we drop down and are ready to rip into the championship. The investment plan has to cover both staying up and building for a promotion campaign, if need be, the following year. KLD and Speakman look to have the nous to plan a few seasons in advance.
I honestly hope it's not related to Saudi mate. I know I 100% don't want to go down that road and I'm confident it wouldn't be well received by a majority of our fan base. I'm also confident KLD would know this...
Yesterday was a £200m game of football, we'll most likely go down. Any plan we have will caveat that in the fact of wage reductions, relegation clauses and any players bought this summer being able to be moved on and not make a loss, in addition to potentially making a profit on players. You go down, with the parachute money and go back up again and in the space of 24 months you've on paper banked at least £400m of revenue from the league alone, nevermind transfers. It's a large gap to bridge, but this is how you do it and this lot know what they're doing. Saying that I'd expect that we'll perform better in the market than any promoted team last year, we won't be shopping from the championship I dont think.
Just for giggles I asked ChatGPT to give a list of potential Americans investors who didn’t already have significant shares in existing football clubs sorted in terms of wealth and that have history of being value oriented investors (those that prefer under value assets such as Sunderland) Ranked by Estimated Net Worth 1. Michael Bloomberg Net Worth: $96 billion Industry: Media / Finance Rationale: No sports club ownership yet, but significant philanthropic and sports-adjacent funding. 2. Stephen Schwarzman Net Worth: $35 billion Industry: Private Equity (Blackstone) Rationale: Has funded sports infrastructure. Could back a strategic football acquisition indirectly. 3. David Tepper Net Worth: $20 billion Industry: Hedge Funds (Appaloosa) Rationale: Owner of Carolina Panthers (NFL); could explore international football expansion. 4. Larry Ellison Net Worth: $140 billion Industry: Tech (Oracle) Rationale: Expressed past interest in sports properties; potential silent backer. 5. Marc Rowan Net Worth: $5-7 billion Industry: Private Equity (Apollo Global) Rationale: Apollo has looked at European sports infrastructure. Rowan may follow suit. 6. Marc Lore Net Worth: $4 billion Industry: E-commerce Rationale: NBA team co-owner, considered football investment. Known for bold strategies. 7. Todd Wagner Net Worth: $1.5 billion Industry: Tech / Media Rationale: Media entrepreneur; no current sports ownership but interested in undervalued assets. 8. Howard Marks Net Worth: $2.2 billion Industry: Private Equity (Oaktree) Rationale: Oaktree is a major sports lender. Marks is likely to consider entry. 9. Robert F. Smith Net Worth: $8 billion Industry: Private Equity / Tech Rationale: Expanding global philanthropic reach. Football could align with outreach. 10. Chamath Palihapitiya Net Worth: $1.2 billion Industry: Venture Capital / SPACs Rationale: Sports enthusiast, interested in football. Often partners with other HNWIs.
Have to say this corporate financier takeover **** is what I hate about football. Rumours of Saudis and Americans. Saudis want to to want own our wind power and defend oil are on amnesty human rights watch, Americans defending fossil fuels and run by a fascist. This **** has ruined football in my eyes. A capitalist plaything grown out of a beautiful sport that gets kids excited. It’s like trading with water.
You are forgetting the interest free 'overdraft' option whereby he can borrow money and stage repayments to lessen the impact of PSR. Along with the fact that if investors do come along then the club may issue a share scheme to give them an interest in the club. I am no business expert but have heard whispers for a long time about ADNOC investing heavily or taking a major sponsorship role in the club. This was to be assessed on how well KLD was at running a club which has proved very successful, and given their close ties to the Louis Drefuss family ( they are major shareholders in the Louis Dreyfuss group) I could see this happening. The American investment is also a major possibility given that Margarita is married to the guy who is heavily involved with Blackrock who are one of the most succesfull asset management companies in the world. I really don't know and am really just feeding the rumour mill but it feels good to speculate and hope. Truth is KLD and his family are very wealthy and may decide to continue with the plan as it is and I would have no problem with that. Premier league success will come at some point and I truly believe that at some point when finances allow they will put there foot a little harder on the accelerator.
Isn't it ****ing sad that we are thinking about money and investments as soon as get promoted. I for one despise the way football is going and hate that we will probably have to sell our soul to compete with the Saudis and others in prem. Let's not kid ourselves, we'll be lucky to get 20 points without ridiculous investment in the team
I agree money is ripping the soul out, I'm not even thinking about transfers in regards to investment. We can improve and develop so many off the field things to ensure our future as a club is secure.
If anyone posts on RTG there are 2 otr saying its a takeover it's not it's just additional investment and the sale of a shareholder's shares.
Unfortunately money is a big part of the game and has Been for a long time, it is just we as fans are far more aware of it now. Remember when Sunderland were known as the bank of England club!
Maurice LD just signed off his post with ‘onwards and upwards - together’. Don’t think the Dreyfus family have any intention of leaving.
I know virtually nothing about any of this tbh, I've never had any involvement in these kind of matters I don't believe FFP would be helped directly from an outside investment. However if it was significant, taking Sartori's shares, and having 49% or whatever, the investors would bring along major financial players with sponsorship, etc. They'd all want a return on that investment which could only come with a sustained period in the PL. That would mean, in my opinion, an expansion of the SOL and the surrounding facilities. That can only be good for SAFC on the pitch although it would make the entity more 'corporate' than it is with KLD. People wonder why, as a very wealthy man, he needs outside investment. In my opinion it's because it brings in more money/profit and also spreads any risk. That would all mean KLD could invest more into the squad we need. It also means we'd have cash available to do better deals because most clubs are financing huge debts and they don't want tranches of money over the length of a players contract. It also means we can sell better because clubs know we're not having to sell to keep things going. As I said though, I know nothing so this is entirely my opinions and nothing else. P.S. Sartori has made quite a sensible profit on his investment and fair play to him. The club was truly worth around £37m when they bought it ... ... we have players worth three times that at least and the club is worth around £150/170m at a guess.
Why would KLD leave? It doesn't make any sense. He doesn't need the money. He's clearly football mad and picked us as his project. He obviously wants to be a football club owner and now that we're in the Premier League it would make no sense for him to prefer to own a different club. The only possible way he leaves is if he gets offered so much money that it's ridiculous or if Marseille are available and that's an itch that he needs to scratch. I doubt either are happening personally.
