Pinched from TIA , no links posted sorry ;
Reports are surfacing in the middle east that Arab investment in soccers Premiership is set to continue following the Abu Dhabi United Group(ADUG) takeover of Manchester City FC.
The latest club linked to a takeover is Liverpool FC, of current 2nd standing in the season rankings, and the rumoured source of the interest is said to be an arm of the royal family in Qatar.
Adam Bogden, CEO of Dubai sports investment specialists Eastern Capital Invetsments commented;
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"There are strong rumours circulating right now that following the Abu Dhabi takeover at Manchester City several other of the regions prominent cash rich royal familiy's want a piece of the action. In an area that boasts several of the worlds fastest growing national economies the kind of exposure that Abu Dhabi has recieved through their link up with English Football has been exceptional and it has not gone unnoticed amongst the other big players"
When pressed about the likelihood of further investment and the potential individual sources Bogden was understandably guarded, however he did continue;
"There are several different parties looking at numerous clubs right now, not just in England but in the other european leagues also. The Liverpool deal is something we have been working on for a little while now and whilst nothing is cast in stone yet I would say that one is the most likely to go ahead but you can never be sure with such complex deals, particularly considering the instability of the world economic climate".
Other sources in Qatar have meanwhile suggested that a deal for Liverpool has in fact been completed and only legal confidentialities are behind the current denials.
An English Sports Agent close to the parties involved told us;
"The interest in Liverpool from Qatar has been fairly long-standing. The Glayde family are one of the wealthiest in the region and it is no secret that Sheikh Unvac has been keen to conclude a deal for some time. These people are exceptionally well connected and have the backing of others which would make their investment potential almost limitless. There is a fierce regional pride amongst these families and the fact that Abu Dhabi have been the first to act would never deter the Sheikh from believing he could 'trump' them. The prospect of even a $3billion investment would not deter him."
At a time when the world economy is in meltdown it appears then that football will continue to buck the trend and thrive. Several groups in England have already called for a 'Salary Cap' to be introduced in order to calm spiralling roster bills but with this latest batch of further middle-eastern investment seemingly on the horizon, it looks as though transfer-fees, player remuneration and the cost of spectator tickets might just go higher before it comes down.