The Daily Mirror are reporting China’s richest man is poised to make a takeover bid at Southampton.
Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin, boss of the Dalian Wanda group, who could make any club he buys the richest club in the Premier League.
Wang’s property development company is worth £19billion and his own personal fortune around half that figure. Now, Wang, 59, wants to break into English football to add to the company’s growing portfolio and is believed to be lining up a £175million bid for Southampton.
Forbes magazine ranked him the 128th richest person in the world as he is worth US $8.6 billion in 2013. In August 2013, he was listed by Bloomberg as the wealthiest person in China.
No disrespect to Southampton but if the Chinese billionaire is willing to splash the cash wouldn’t a London club with the Olympic stadium be a better investment for him?
In 2012 West Ham co-owner David Gold has admitted he’d sell some of his stake in the club if he can find an Upton Park sugar-daddy. He was quoted as saying He said: “You have to be a billionaire to make a major difference and there aren’t many of them about. How many Roman Abramovichs are there?"
Well it appears Wang Jianlin is out there, he almost as rich as Roman Abramovich and he wants to buy a English premier league club.
David Gold went on to say “Of course, I’d welcome a Father Christmas. But then you look and discover that it might not be the real Father Christmas. And you know why? Because there isn’t a real Father Christmas. He doesn’t exist.In an ideal world, though, if you ask what I’d like to see happen, I would like a very wealthy person to come and join us. David and myself are wealthy by normal standards, but not by football standards.”
I wonder whether Mr Gold and Mr Sullivan would consider selling up to let the club experience the kind of financial investment Manchester City and Chelsea have enjoyed.
David Sullivan was recently quoted as saying “If we go down we cannot afford to subsidise the club any longer”
If they sold up for £175 million they would re-coup the money they invested and allow the club they say they love to move on to a new chapter.