Super Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 A Serbian-born cable television tycoon has become the latest entrant to the Premier League's eclectic roster of club-owners after striking a £100m deal to buy Southampton. Sky News has learnt that Dragan Solak, founder of United Group, has invested a chunk of his fortune in a controlling stake in the Saints, who sit 14th in the table, ten points clear of the relegation zone. Mr Solak is understood to be behind a new holding company which will examine offers for clubs in other international leagues, replicating a strategy employed by the owners of Manchester City. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyTonyTony Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 6 minutes ago, Super said: A Serbian-born cable television tycoon There must be a pun there somewhere *racks brains* 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledAjax Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Super said: A Serbian-born cable television tycoon has become the latest entrant to the Premier League's eclectic roster of club-owners after striking a £100m deal to buy Southampton. Sky News has learnt that Dragan Solak, founder of United Group, has invested a chunk of his fortune in a controlling stake in the Saints, who sit 14th in the table, ten points clear of the relegation zone. Mr Solak is understood to be behind a new holding company which will examine offers for clubs in other international leagues, replicating a strategy employed by the owners of Manchester City. £100m seems pretty cheap. It's the price of a single world class striker. Wasn't Newcastle £450m recently? A 'controlling stake' is normally at least 50% plus one share, often 75% plus one to account for special resolutions. That would value the whole club at only £150 - 200m. Seems very low? If true then £100m for a stable Premier League team really puts into perspective the £80 - 100m investors are being asked to stump up for Derby - a basket case Championship side destined for League 1. Edited January 4, 2022 by ExiledAjax 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grifty Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 That's confusing. I just googled Dragan Solak and the first Wiki entry is about a Chess Grandmaster. I was wondering how you could make such money from chess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mendip City Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 8 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said: £100m seems pretty cheap. It's the price of a single world class striker. Wasn't Newcastle £450m recently? A 'controlling stake' is normally at least 50% plus one share, often 75% plus one to account for special resolutions. That would value the whole club at only £150 - 200m. Seems very low? If true then £100m for a stable Premier League team really puts into perspective the £80 - 100m investors are being asked to stump up for Derby - a basket case Championship side destined for League 1. Agree it seems weird…. Do they own the ground? Surely the land that sits on alone must be worth several tens of millions? how can the whole business be valued at less than one year’s tv revenue? If this is correct: https://www.statista.com/statistics/240912/broadcasting-payments-to-clubs-in-the-english-premier-league/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Posted January 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 Are they in financial trouble? 100M does sound pretty cheap, They have made millions in transfers over the years as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarksRobin Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 21 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said: £100m seems pretty cheap. It's the price of a single world class striker. Wasn't Newcastle £450m recently? A 'controlling stake' is normally at least 50% plus one share, often 75% plus one to account for special resolutions. That would value the whole club at only £150 - 200m. Seems very low? If true then £100m for a stable Premier League team really puts into perspective the £80 - 100m investors are being asked to stump up for Derby - a basket case Championship side destined for League 1. According to the BBC it is an 80% stake currently held by a Chinese investor. The quoted value cannot be correct. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 9 minutes ago, Super said: Are they in financial trouble? 100M does sound pretty cheap, They have made millions in transfers over the years as well. There have been rumours that a number of Chinese owners are trying to get out of UK football due to a financial crash around a company called Evergrande over there, West Brom & Birmingham (the latter an absolute shit show) are two. No idea if this is connected but Saints were Chinese owned. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledAjax Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 14 minutes ago, WarksRobin said: According to the BBC it is an 80% stake currently held by a Chinese investor. The quoted value cannot be correct. 80% of a Premier League club for £100m? Either ludicrously undervalued or there's a big catch/extra cost that's not being reported. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocking Red Cyril Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 When do we ever see the real truth via press media Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southport Red Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 49 minutes ago, TonyTonyTony said: There must be a pun there somewhere *racks brains* Serbo-Coax? 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davefevs Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 1 hour ago, grifty said: That's confusing. I just googled Dragan Solak and the first Wiki entry is about a Chess Grandmaster. I was wondering how you could make such money from chess! Ask Tim Rice and the B from ABBA! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarksRobin Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 46 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said: 80% of a Premier League club for £100m? Either ludicrously undervalued or there's a big catch/extra cost that's not being reported. As suggested by @GrahamC it could be a Chinese investor who is desperate to sell due to the Evergrande problem, so effectively a fire sale of shares Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mendip City Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 17 minutes ago, Davefevs said: Ask Tim Rice and the B from ABBA! I’ll ask Tim, “I know him so well” after meeting him “one night in Bangkok”. (slightly disturbed by my own knowledge of musicals!!!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxy27 Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 58 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said: 80% of a Premier League club for £100m? Either ludicrously undervalued or there's a big catch/extra cost that's not being reported. I think the 80% refers to what the previous owner had. Maybe the £100m is Mr. Solak's investment, and he's also backed by a number of other parties for the total deal. Either way I doubt it's only £100m unless the club is in financial trouble or the previous owner just wants out at effectively any price. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leveller Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 There could be a lot of debt as well as assets. If the buyer is taking on the debt, perhaps the price is for the equity - ie the net assets, not the gross assets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hxj Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 Financially the club is a mess. The group headed by St Mary's Football Group Limited lost roughly £100 million across 2019 and 2020 seasons, lost more in 2021 (allegedly), and at 30 June 2020 had £100 million of player contracts to amortise over the next few years 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchred Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 Buyers are about see .............................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Rob Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 1 hour ago, grifty said: That's confusing. I just googled Dragan Solak and the first Wiki entry is about a Chess Grandmaster. I was wondering how you could make such money from chess! It's all about how you manage your money. He doesn’t accept crypto or bank transfer, he's all about the cheque's mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davefevs Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 Interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View from the Dolman Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 (edited) His departure from Brentford was only announced less than a month ago... Almost like he was involved in these Southampton talks whilst still in Brentford's employment. Couldn't imagine pulling those kind of tricks closer to home. https://www.brentfordfc.com/news/2021/december/rasmus-ankersen-to-leave-brentford-fc/ Edited January 4, 2022 by View from the Dolman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanburyRed Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 6 hours ago, grifty said: That's confusing. I just googled Dragan Solak and the first Wiki entry is about a Chess Grandmaster. I was wondering how you could make such money from chess! Did he 'pawn' lots of gold?! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archie andrews Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 45 minutes ago, BanburyRed said: Did he 'pawn' lots of gold?! no....just a chequered history..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyTonyTony Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 Mental that Southampton FC costs the same as Jack Grealish. Obscene really if you think about it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin phantom Posted January 4, 2022 Admin Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 Sport Republic Ltd, the new owners of Southampton, issue £100m of new shares Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILINFRANCE Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 4 minutes ago, phantom said: Sport Republic Ltd, the new owners of Southampton, issue £100m of new shares I smell something fishy already. Unless he/they have purchased a huge debt, there is surely no way 80% of Southampton is only worth £100M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red-Robbo Posted January 5, 2022 Report Share Posted January 5, 2022 Very odd. The Chinese paid £210m for Saints, but Katherine Liebherr retains ownership of St Mary's, through a holding company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davefevs Posted January 5, 2022 Report Share Posted January 5, 2022 10 hours ago, PHILINFRANCE said: I smell something fishy already. Unless he/they have purchased a huge debt, there is surely no way 80% of Southampton is only worth £100M. 8 hours ago, Red-Robbo said: Very odd. The Chinese paid £210m for Saints, but Katherine Liebherr retains ownership of St Mary's, through a holding company. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILINFRANCE Posted January 5, 2022 Report Share Posted January 5, 2022 3 hours ago, Davefevs said: So, Southampton, established in The Premier League, worth only 2.5 times more than soon to be ‘Division Three’ Derby County. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweeneys Penalties Posted January 5, 2022 Report Share Posted January 5, 2022 12 hours ago, Red-Robbo said: Very odd. The Chinese paid £210m for Saints, but Katherine Liebherr retains ownership of St Mary's, through a holding company. she has a minority stake.....from Saints website SOUTHAMPTON FC | Official Website of Saints – latest news, photos and videos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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