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- Suitors value PSG north of €4bn and are seeking 5% to 15% stake
- Owner QSI remains ‘fully invested’ in Ligue 1 club
Private equity firm Arctos Sports Partners is one of several groups interested in acquiring a minority stake in French soccer champions Paris Saint-Germain, according to CBS.
Arctos and the other prospective suitors are said to value PSG at well over €4 billion (US$4.4 billion) and are seeking a stake of between five per cent to 15 per cent.
CBS adds that there is not yet a frontrunner from the groups and the picture is expected to become clearer over the summer. It is believed that the original aim was try and get a deal done by spring.
Should Arctos secure an agreement, it will add to a sports investment portfolio that includes a stake in Liverpool, Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Penguins owner Fenway Sports Group (FSG). Arctos also has interests in the likes of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings.
SportsPro says…
It was first reported by L’Équipe last November that an unnamed American investment fund was considering taking a minority shareholding in PSG. Spending at the Parc des Princes has gone pretty much unchecked since the club’s owner Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) acquired PSG in 2011. While there is no hint that the state wants to sell up, the move to bring in minority investment is designed to keep Les Parisiens competitive with rival European teams, particularly those in the Premier League.
PSG’s revenue options are limited by the comparatively meagre central distribution the club gets for playing in Ligue 1 and ceiling placed on matchday income by their current stadium, with a new venue now another potential outlay for QSI to deal with. The club are unwilling to upgrade the Parc des Princes without acquiring the venue from Paris City Council, but the local authority has said it has no desire to sell.
The dispute has seen the French champions threaten to ditch the Parc des Princes entirely and they have been linked with a deal to buy the Stade de France, which is reportedly worth around €600 million (US$655 million) and requires €400 million (US$437 million) in renovations.
This all comes at a time when QSI is also planning to add to its minority stake in Portuguese top-flight outfit SC Braga and up its involvement in the emerging sport of padel.
