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- PSG has been valued at more than US$3bn
- Owner QSI not looking to give up majority shareholding
An American investment fund is interested in taking a minority shareholding in French soccer champions Paris Saint-Germain, according to L’Équipe.
The unnamed firm is reportedly hoping to land a ten to 15 per cent stake in the Ligue 1 club. PSG are currently valued at US$3.2 billion by Forbes, meaning any potential deal could be worth north of US$300 million.
The French sports newspaper states any deal is not imminent and things are at an early stage. The arrival of an external investor would also reportedly not be the beginning of the end for PSG’s current owner Qatar Sports Investments (QSI).
That assessment looks to have been confirmed by QSI president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who told UK national radio station TalkSport that the organisation had received an offer of more than €4 billion (US$4.1 billion) for the club but said it was “not going sell”. However, Al-Khelaifi said that QSI would “think about” parting with a small percentage of PSG.
SportsPro says…
Bankrolled by QSI’s billions since 2011, PSG have become the dominant force in French soccer, scooping eight league titles in 11 seasons and attracting some of the game’s biggest names including Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Off the pitch, Les Parisiens’ value has skyrocketed and deals with the likes of Nike’s Jordan Brand have helped fuel wider global appeal amongst fans.
QSI’s vast financial resources mean it is in no hurry to offload a minority stake. But, having reportedly paid less than €100 million (US$103 million) to take control of PSG more than a decade ago, the chance to handsomely recoup that initial investment while maintaining majority control makes plenty of business sense.
While the identity of the interested American investment firm remains unknown, it would mark the latest US involvement with a heavyweight European soccer club. This year has already seen English side Chelsea snapped up for UK£4.25 billion (US$5.05 billion) by the Todd Boehly-led consortium, while RedBird Capital Partners bought AC Milan in a deal valuing the Italian outfit at €1.2 billion (US$1.2 billion).
