THE INSANE WEALTH OF COMO FOOTBALL CLUB

 

THE BET SHAQ LOST THAT MADE HIM $500 MILLION RICHER

 

BARCELONA FINANCES: £625M LA LIGA SPENDING-LIMIT RECOVERY EXPLAINED

 

Barcelona's La Liga squad cost limit has risen by around £625m in five years, completing a remarkable recovery from the financial restrictions that once left the Catalan giants with a negative spending ceiling.

La Liga's latest figures give Barcelona a squad cost limit of €582.7m (£501m) for the 2026-27 season, putting the club back in a position to operate with financial room that appeared almost unimaginable at the height of their crisis.

Real Madrid remain comfortably ahead with a record €832.7m (£716m) limit, leaving a gap of approximately £215m between Spain's two biggest clubs.

However, that difference looks very different when compared with 2021-22, when Barcelona's limit had fallen to -€144m (-£124m) while Madrid could spend up to €739m (£635m).

Barcelona have recovered £625m of La Liga spending power

La Liga's squad cost limit should not be confused with a club's actual wage bill.

The calculation covers fixed and variable salaries, social security costs, bonuses, transfer acquisition costs, agents' commissions and the annual amortisation of transfer fees. Clubs are also not required to use the full amount available to them.

For Barcelona, the movement from -€144m to €582.7m represents a swing of almost €727m, or approximately £625m, in just five years.

The scale of that turnaround becomes even clearer against Madrid. At Barcelona's lowest point, the difference between the two clubs stood at €883m (£759m). It is now just under €250m (£215m), meaning Barca have erased more than £540m of that extreme gap.

The recovery has also begun to translate into greater freedom in the transfer market. Barcelona spent heavily during the latest summer window, their biggest outlay for several years, after seasons in which registrations, spending restrictions and emergency financial measures repeatedly shaped their recruitment.

According to AS, structural cost reductions have played an important role in improving the numbers, alongside increased commercial income and revenue connected to the redevelopment of Camp Nou.

The reopening of part of the stadium has been particularly significant, while Barcelona's VIP-box programme has also generated substantial income during the rebuilding process.

The improvement does not mean that Barcelona's wider financial problems have disappeared. The club continue to carry major liabilities linked particularly to the Espai Barca project, even after returning to annual revenues above €1bn.

Camp Nou move could put Barcelona's progress under pressure

Barcelona's recovery is substantial, but the next phase of the Camp Nou project means the upward trajectory may not continue uninterrupted.

The Catalan club are expected to return temporarily to the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys during the 2027-28 campaign while further work, including the installation of the Camp Nou roof, is carried out.

That move is expected to reduce matchday revenue compared with playing at their redeveloped home and, according to AS, could consequently lower Barcelona's La Liga spending limit again.

It creates an unusual situation for Joan Laporta's administration. Camp Nou is one of the main assets expected to drive Barcelona's long-term commercial growth, yet completing the project could temporarily restrict the financial room that the club have spent several years rebuilding.

That tension is already visible in the way Barcelona have financed their return to major transfer spending, with higher revenues and greater La Liga flexibility offset by the continuing cost of the stadium redevelopment and historic liabilities.

There is nevertheless considerable optimism over the longer-term picture. Barcelona reportedly expect the redeveloped stadium and its commercial spaces to become major revenue generators, with the club targeting total annual income of around €1.45bn by the 2030-31 season.

Madrid therefore remain well ahead in immediate spending capacity, but the comparison is no longer remotely as one-sided as it was five years ago.

Barcelona have moved from a negative La Liga limit to more than half a billion pounds of permitted squad expenditure. The next test is whether that £625m recovery can survive one more temporary move away from Camp Nou.

MAN UNITED FINANCES: RECORD REVENUES BUT ANOTHER BIG LOSS AS CLUB COUNTS COST OF AMORIM FIRING

AC Milan's head coach Ruben Amorim holds the ball during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Lecce, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) - Manchester United made a loss of around $60 million despite record revenues in a season where the club paid nearly $10 million to fire another coach.

In its financial figures released Wednesday, United reported it earned $900 million in the fiscal year ending June 30 - slightly up from record sums the previous year - despite not playing in the Champions League.

The club´s revenue guidance for next year is up to $1 billion because the 20-time English champions are back playing in Europe´s top competition after a third-place finish in the Premier League. United began its Champions League campaign with a 4-0 win over Sabah from Azerbaijan, amid a poor start to the Premier League featuring just one win in five games.

Contributing to the losses were the costs associated with the departure of former coach Ruben Amorim, who was fired in January, and his staff.

It could have been more.

Manchester United's head coach Michael Carrick stands on the sidelines prior to the start of the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Manchester United in London, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

In February, United said in a financial filing that the cost of firing Amorim could reach more than $21 million but he has since taken a coaching job at AC Milan, saving United from paying more compensation.

United´s wage bill was about $400 million, down 3.6% on the previous year. The club attributed the drop to changes in the men´s first-team squad and cuts at the club over the last two years.

- ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOUIS SALAH NOW WORTH OVER £4 BILLION FOLLOWING SUCCESS AFTER FOOTBALL

 

Throughout his career as a footballer, Louis Saha saw incredible success. His goalscoring exploits for the likes of Fulham, Everton and Manchester United saw him forge a solid legacy in the Premier League.

For over a decade, he was a key figure in the English top flight and during his time with the Red Devils, he won some major silverware. Whether it was the Premier League trophies or the Champions League title that he won, it's safe to say he was a very successful player.

With that said, he might just be even more successful away from the pitch, amassing a huge fortune in the years since his retirement. These days, Saha is worth a simply staggering £4.5 billion and has far surpassed the amount of money that he earned during his playing career.

Only one player has gone on to make more money once they've called time on their career and that's Matheu Flamini, who has built a net worth of over £21 billion through his time as co-owner of GF Biochemicals.

Saha's path is a little different. While he's built up a very impressive net worth, he hasn't done it through working with biochemicals and instead has done so while staying close to the world of sport.

Saha Set Up a Social Network for Sports Stars

After retiring from football, Saha decided to use all that he'd learned from his experiences in the beautiful game and set up a social network for sports athletes to converse, offer tips and share their experiences while competing at an elite level in their specific sports. The network, called Axis Stars, is only available to the ultra-wealthy and talented, and these days, it's valued at over £3.5 billion.

According to the company itself, Axis Stars is a community that 'facilitates authentic, win-win connections between pro-athletes & entertainers, their peers and trusted partners.' Saha formed the network with marketeer Kate Hamer and alongside technological executive Patrice Arnera and former Manchester United marketing guru Mike Farnan, it has gone from strength to strength.

It currently possesses thousands of users, including around 550 ex-professional athletes, and as a result, Saha's net worth has risen to a reported figure of £4.312 billion according to OLBG.

Saha Created the Network Due to a Gap in the Market

Speaking in an interview with CityAM back in 2014, around the time that Axis Stars was formed, Saha revealed that the idea and the desire to create such a network came from wishing that there was something similar during his own time on the pitch.

"I would have loved to be able to master my job better when I was playing but now I’ve retired, I still have a huge role to play sharing my experience with young players.

"I wish I had a platform like this as a player; it would have helped me manage my career and plan for the future a lot better."

 Several years later, in an interview with The Guardian, he spoke about how successful the launch of Axis Stars had been and revealed how the results had only made him more sure that it was the right move to make.

"I still get asked for advice by different people on a daily basis. For instance, my agent called me to say he had a talented French footballer who he wants to bring to England, and asked me for advice on how to create a tailor-made training programme. I put him in touch with people I used to work with.

"This kind of player could join Axis as he can then search for a personal coach in his region. It is a hard process but it’s so rewarding, because if I can help 100,000 people, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done."

His time off the pitch has been a major success, but it's important to remember just how good he was on it as well.

Saha Was a Fine Premier League Striker

While Saha has had some incredible success as a businessman over the last decade, he got into that position due to his superb career on the football pitch. Hailing from France, the forward got his start at Metz, and while the goals didn't come often, he scored five times for the club. After a brief, albeit unsuccessful loan spell with English side Newcastle United in 1999, where Saha scored just once in 11 appearances, he eventually moved to the country permanently when he signed with Fulham in 2000.

His time with the Cottagers was much stronger, and Saha lit the First Division up in his debut season with the club. The forward scored 32 times in 48 appearances as he helped lead them to the Premier League. He would then remain in the English top flight for the next 13 seasons.

His time at United is what he will be remembered for most, though, as the now 47-year-old spent four years at Old Trafford and played a key role in the side winning a pair of Premier League trophies and a Champions League title to go along with it.

A footballer's days on the pitch don't last forever and while players make a tonne of money during their careers, that doesn't necessarily mean they'll hold onto those finances for the rest of their lives. There have been numerous examples of ex-pros who have wound up bankrupt in the years after they've retired, but Saha's business acumen and intelligent moves have ensured that this certainly won't be the case for him.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 20-09-26.

- Callum Altimas

HOW CESC FABREGAS' COMO WENT FROM A €1MILLION TO A €1BILLION VALUATION IN FEWER THAN 10 YEARS

GOAL looks at how far the small, lake-side club has come - and analyses just how far they might yet go

The tagline on Como's Twitter profile reads, 'The most beautiful football in the most beautiful location'. It's quite the claim and yet hardly hyperbole.

Certainly within an Italian context, there is no better team to watch in Serie A right now. Just last Sunday, World Cup winner Daniele De Rossi admitted that he hasn't come across a stronger side since taking charge of Genoa almost a year ago.

And then there's the location. Como's Sinigaglia stadium is neither big nor modern. The 13,000-seater arena is almost 100 years old - and, to be brutally honest, for all the recent refurbishments, you can still tell. However, while the ground itself might not itself be particularly impressive, the surroundings are spectacular.

Sinigaglia sits on the banks of the breath-taking Lago di Como, one of the most popular and prestigious tourist destinations not only in Italy, but the entire world. And it is here, in this spectacular setting, that Como will make their eagerly-awaited Champions League debut on Thursday night, against RB Leipzig.

Unsurprisingly, tickets are at a premium, so much so, in fact, that president Mirwan Suwarso and other members of the executive team have given up their seats to allow more than 40 of the club's oldest supporters to attend. It's a lovely gesture but also another public relations masterclass from a board that has barely put a foot wrong since the Djarum Group acquired Como in 2019.

Back then, Como was worth less than €1 million, but Suwarso says it could surpass €1 billion - so, how have they done it? How has such a small club gone from the third tier of Italian football to mixing it with Europe's elite in such a short space of time? And how high up the footballing ladder might they yet climb?...

An Italian 'Welcome to Wrexham'

Mirwan Suwarso was initially looking to make a football documentary in Italy. Getty Images Sport 

A few years before 'Welcome to Wrexham' first premiered on FX in 2022, Suwarso and some of his colleagues at Mola TV - one of Djarum's subsidiaries - had an idea for a "sort of football documentary" set in Italy.

"We thought it would be a familiar theme for the audience, given Serie A's immense popularity in Indonesia during the 1990s," Suwarso told Calcio E Finanza.

The only issue was where to film, as Italy's most populous cities presented all sorts of logistical issues. However, it was while exploring Milan that Suwarso came across Como; "a happy coincidence", as he put it.

On the face of it, Como 1907 looked like an odd choice for the target audience, given the Lariani had hardly been a major force in Serie A's heyday. Furthermore, while the club had just been promoted to Serie C1, the cracks in Como's infrastructure were quite literally there for all to see.

"We are going to renovate the entire building," Suwarso said during a video presentation that featured footage of the club's dilapidated stadium, "and return it to good condition."

It was, thus, already clear: Suwarso had found the potential rags-to-riches story he'd been seeking.

Wise move

Dennis Wise played an integral role in turning Como into a professional outfit. Getty Images Sport 

Money was never going to be an issue for Como - the Djarum Group was led by the Harton brothers, Budi and Bambang, two of the richest men on the planet. The real challenge would lie in figuring out how best to invest that money.

Suwarso may have been familiar with Serie A, but he had no experience of running a football club. Consequently, he turned to former England and Chelsea midfielder Dennis Wise for help.

At the time of the takeover, the Londoner was involved in an Indonesian youth development programme run by Djarum and he initially began working with Como as a consultant, before later becoming CEO, and then president.

"I took total control of the football club, from top to bottom, employing every single person in the building," Wise later revealed to The Coaches' Voice. "When I went there, the club didn't even have their own training ground, just a year-by-year lease. In fact, they had gone bankrupt twice and crowds were only around 800.

"So, it was about improving supporter numbers, the community around the club, getting a training ground and creating an academy, which had been outsourced, so we had to bring it back in.

"There wasn’t too much interest from afar at that stage - and Mirwan left me to my own devices, really. I never had much to spend in the transfer market, so I had to try to do some really good deals. We had 14 loans at one stage – it was about filtering in and out, because there wasn’t money to spend. Then, all of a sudden, it started to grow."

'I just wanted a project that excited me'

Cesc Fabregas initially joined Como as a player and a shareholder but was appointed coach in 2023. Getty Images Sport 

By 2021, Como were back in Serie B for the first time since before their second bankruptcy four years' previously. The following summer, in the clearest demonstration to date of the owners' ambitions, Cesc Fabregas joined the club - both as a player and a shareholder. Unsurprisingly, Wise played a pivotal role in bringing the World Cup winner on board.

"Dennis was the most convincing [of the club directors I spoke to]," the veteran midfielder explained at the time. "I didn't care about the money. I just wanted to join a project that excited me. I see a long-term future for this club."

Fabregas, Wise and Suwarso all had the same objective: to get Come back into Serie A, and, in 2024, the team was promoted to the top flight for the first time in more than two decades.

By that stage, Fabregas was looking after the first team. He may have been technically listed as Osian Roberts' assistant but that was only because the former Arsenal ace had yet to secure all of his coaching credentials. Everyone knew, though, that it was Fabregas calling the shots and the full extent of his influence only became clear when Wise parted company with Como in the summer of 2024 and explained his surprise exit by stating, "The club has decided to follow Cesc Fabregas' direction."

Wise also later claimed that Suwarso wanted to "take more control" of the club and "not within the same financial structure". "It was right for me to step away from certain things I don't agree with," Wise added.

Fabregas and Suwarso, though, remained perfectly in sync. "We share the same vision, the same goal, which is to get as high as possible," the Spaniard said. "We are still a small club - but with big, very big ambitions for the future."

Speculate to accumulate

Come have spent more money than the vast majority of Italian clubs over the past three years. Getty Images Sport 

Basically, Como weren't simply content to compete in Serie A, they wanted to win right away - and that meant spending more money.

According to Football Benchmark, the club's operating costs (€52m) were more than five times their operating revenue (€10m) during their promotion-winning season in Serie B, and they continued to splash the cash upon arriving in Italy's top flight. The net transfer balance at the end of their first year was just over -€93.35m. Last season, it was almost -€108.79m.

Como's thought process was clear: you have to speculate to accumulate. And it's a strategy that has paid off for them, at least until now, with Fabregas leading the team to a shock fourth-placed finish last season that even took his bosses by surprise.

Suwarso has insisted, though, that Champions League qualification wasn't imperative to balance the books, that the club wasn't under any financial pressure to qualify for Europe.

"We don't set specific sporting targets," he told Calcio E Finanza. "We try not to think that way. We view everything in terms of profitability. If we manage the budget correctly and keep it within a sustainable level, we believe we can be profitable within two to three years."

It's certainly a possibility, given the way in which Como are going about building their brand.

The stars coming out for Como

Michael Fassbender and Keira Knightley are just two of the many celebrities to have turned up at Sinigaglia. Getty Images Sport 

"If you look at the accounts, Como is a loss-making club at the moment, but I would say that's quite normal in the circumstances," Antonio Di Cianni, director of Advisory at Football Benchmark, tells GOAL. "This is a different model to the one we normally see in football.

"Djarum didn't buy an already established football club with high revenue streams. This is a club coming from the lower leagues and they've essentially built a new club from the ground up.

"They've had a net loss of almost €200 million over the past three seasons, but they've secured promotion, and now qualification for the Champions League.

"Obviously, the stadium is small, so capacity is a problem, but they are revamping it. They want to improve the facilities, to make the stadium more state-of-the-art, but also increase the capacity to between 15 and 17,000, which would accommodate more hospitality seats, and that's where the real money comes from a matchday perspective for football clubs.

"Perhaps most importantly of all, Como are doing a lot in terms of merchandising and licensing to exploit the Lake Como brand. Lake Como is well known everywhere in the world, like Venice or Cinque Terre. It has that level of prestige and prominence.

"Past owners didn't take advantage of that fact but now Djarum are unsurprisingly doing everything they can to tap into that brand. They have even set up a private members club (The Club On The Lake) that has a membership fee of €4,500 per annum.

"So, they are trying to cultivate this exclusivity concept around the football club."

Attracting so many celebrities certainly helps enhance that image. In the past 18 months alone, Hollywood stars such as Hugh Grant, Michael Fassbender, Adrien Brody, Kiera Knightly, Kate Beckinsale, Jeff Goldblum, Benedict Cumberbatch and Hugh Jackman have shown up at Sinigaglia.

Interestingly, Suwarso says that these weren't PR stunts organised by the club. "We haven't done anything like that," he insisted last year. "They come on their own.

"For instance, James Righton, Keira Knightley’s husband, wanted to visit Como after reading about how Cesc Fabregas was building an exciting football team, so he wanted to see it for himself. From there, everything else followed naturally."

The 'CEO of football'

Cesc Fabregas' team has a clear footballing identity. Getty Images Sport 

It's undeniably difficult to overstate the importance of Fabregas to the Como project. The club has other notable shareholders such as Thierry Henry, while Raphael Varane is on the board, but Fabregas is the frontman, the face of the entire enterprise, Como's "CEO of football", as Suwarso puts it.

"He is crucial for executing the plan that the board has given him," he told the Gazzetta dello Sport. "Unlike other teams, we don't just rely on the coach and sporting director; we have an expanded football board that includes Cesc and his staff, as well as all other components of our football management, plus our CFO and myself representing the ownership.

"We try to make decisions as a committee, using the DNA we have built as a guideline. But Cesc has been fundamental in building that DNA."

Right from the start, the owners made it clear to Fabregas that they wanted to see a team playing "front-footed football". The objective wasn't so much to win, but to entertain. And the reasoning was twofold: firstly, to attract players to the club; secondly, to attract tourists.

Como's stadium may be small, but so too is the city, which has just over 82,000 inhabitants. What Como has a lot of, though, is visitors and Suwarso's goal all along was to turn Sinigaglia into one of the area's main tourist attractions.

"When I first arrived, there were 1.6 million tourists," he explained. "Five years later, it’s 4.8 million. So, there must be a way to generate revenue from this increase in visitors, and I like to think of our business model in a way similar to Disney.

"For Disney, Disneyland represents its theme park division; for us, the football club and the matchday experience are our 'theme park division'. Then, we have eight other divisions connected to this... But what makes us unique is the way we connect the football experience with tourism in Lake Como, creating a one-of-a-kind synergy.

"We even have schools and an academy - not just a youth sector for the club, but an academy for those who want to play football in the summer, for example, coming from the U.S. Parents can go on vacation while their kids play football. Also, even when we were in Serie B, we sold tickets in 122 countries. Last year, 20 percent of our e-commerce sales were from abroad, and this year, 12% of our sales have come from the U.S. alone.

"If you walk around the city today, you’ll start seeing a lot of our merchandise, whereas three years ago, we didn’t even have a store. Now, we have four stores in the city and 485 retail points distributing our products across the province of Como.

"We are serving a population of 85,000 people, plus the 4.8 million tourists who visit every summer. Our goal is to expand internationally and transform those 4.8 million seasonal visitors into 48 million, 400 million, or whatever realistic number we can reach. If we succeed, it will be extraordinary because achieving profitability in just eight years is incredibly fast."

'Moving in the right direction'

Champions League football could become a regular occurrence at Sinigaglia. AFP

Como obviously aren't there yet, though. For all Fabregas' qualities as a coach (and he clearly has many), the club understandably remains quite reliant on the transfer market to create a competitive squad, as it will be some time before the revamped youth sector starts producing homegrown talent - which also explains why Como aren't yet making very much money from player sales.

Consequently, they are still some way off achieving the desired €1bn valuation - which, according to Football Benchmark, would rank them fourth among Serie A clubs, behind Inter (€2.1bn), Juventus (€1.84bn) and AC Milan (€1.8bn), but above Napoli (€967m).

"Owners obviously always aim high, it's their own asset, it's in their interests to talk positively about increasing the value of the club," Di Cianni says. "But Como, in 24-25, they generated approximately €50m in revenue, so they're some way below even Italy's highest earners.

"Of course, they will play in the Champions League this season, and while it depends how far you go, I would imagine that they would get maybe between 30 and 40 million euro just by participating. Therefore, they could maybe approach something like €100m in revenue this season.

"Even then, though, a one billion valuation is an ambitious target, because there are no guarantees in sport and it remains to be seen how consistent they are in terms of sporting results. Will Como become a stable side in Serie A, regularly challenging for the top four? Are they now going to qualify for Europe every year? What happens if they have one bad season and fall back into Serie B? These are the questions from a sporting perspective that affect the value of a club.

"From an asset perspective, though, the revamped stadium and all of the activities they are doing to increase revenues, it's all moving in the right direction, moving towards increasing the value of the club, and the squad.

"I think player trading is going to become a bigger part of their strategy going forward, in terms of balancing the books, which is very important from a UEFA licensing requirements perspective. Just look at the fact that, as of today, the combined market value of Como's players was €584.2m - up from €288m last September - and that figure has increased thanks to a significant revaluation of many players, as well as the addition of summer signings like Moise Kean and Trevoh Chalobah, so, that's the level of escalation we're witnessing at Sinigaglia.

"Clearly, the billion-euro target is obviously not a short-term objective, but in the medium- to long-term, if everything continues to go well, I think it's possible, something that can be achieved at some point, given the synergies at play, and the prestige of the location."

Basically, if the football remains as beautiful as the backdrop, Como's first Champions League campaign won't be their last.

- Mark Doyle

NIKE ALMOST DIDN'T SEE IT COMING | MICHAEL JORDAN | AIR JORDAN 1

 

Michael Jordan signed with Nike in October 1984 for $500,000 a year, about five times what any other player was earning on a shoe deal.

The Air Jordan 1 launched in April 1985. Nike's internal sales goal was $3 million. Per CBS News, the line did $126 million in its first year alone.

When the Air Jordan 1 launched in April 1985, Nike's plan was to move 100,000 pairs in the first year.

They sold roughly 450,000 pairs in the first month, and about 1.5 million units by the end of year one.

The shoe outran the forecast so badly that Nike had to rebuild the whole business around one rookie.

What sneaker release do you remember lining up for?

#8AtTheTable #Sports #MJ #MichaelJordan #AirJordan1 #AirJirdan #

Forty years later, Jordan Brand is still the standard.

What is the best endorsement deal in sports history?

- 8atthetable

PREMIER LEAGUE SPENT MORE THAN THE REST OF EUROPE

 

The Premier League spent more than the rest of Europe's top five leagues 𝘾𝙊𝙈𝘽𝙄𝙉𝙀𝘿 this summer 💰🤯

- Live Score

ENZO FERNANDEZ DEAL PROFIT EXPLAINED

 

Most people see the Enzo Fernandez record-breaking deal to Manchester City and believe Chelsea made an £18.2m profit.

The fact is, Chelsea has just made a whopping £56m accounting profit.

It’s called amortization, and here is how it works…

Chelsea signed Enzo for about £106.8m on an 8.5-year contract.

They don’t record the entire £106.8m as an expense in one year. Instead, the transfer fee is spread across the length of his contract.

£106.8m ÷ 8.5 years = approximately £12.6m per year.

After roughly 3 years, Chelsea has recognised about £37.7m of the transfer fee as an expense.

That leaves Enzo with an approximate £69.1m book value on Chelsea’s books.

Now, Chelsea sells him to Manchester City for £125m:

£125m − £69.1m = approximately £55.9m.

So, Chelsea has made roughly £56m in accounting profit on the sale. Based on the original amortisation schedule.

- Kriz Cfc

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CHELSEA OWNERS WANT TO SELL IN LATEST TURBULENT TWIST AT STAMFORD BRIDGE

 

Cole Palmer is embraced by Chelsea chairman Too Boehly with Donald Trump watching on. Photo: Getty Images

The Telegraph in the UK is reporting that Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Mark Walter are looking at selling their stakes in the Premier League club.

Their proposed sale to majority owner Clearlake Capital would value the London club at $9.5 billion and give the private equity company complete control at the club.

Currently, the pair, along with Hansjorg Wyss, own 12.8% each of the club.

Boehly is the chairman, but Clearlake, with Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano in charge, call the shots at Stamford Bridge.

Boehly is arguably the most visible of Chelsea owners, and was the face of the bid that bought the club off Roman Abramovich four years ago in a $5 million deal, but his chairmanship is due to end at the end of the season.

According to the BBC, a rift within the ownership group, first rumoured in 2024, has led to the parties working out how to buy each other out. The future of Stamford Bridge and agreement on whether to move, or what that would look like, has been suggested as one of the sources of tension.

Should they successfully sell their stakes, the pair would each stand to pocket some $1.2 billion each.

It would be a dizzying period for Walter, co-owner and chief executive of global finance firm Guggenheim Partners, who sold the Los Angeles Lakers last week for a record $17.6 billion.

Xabi Alonso has been appointed to lead Chelsea on the park this term as they look to rebuild after a 10th placed finish last term, the latest twist in a turbulent four years under the American ownership. While Chelsea won the Club World Cup in 2025, they have chopped and changed managers without mounting a serious Premier League title chase.

The Athletic reports there is an ongoing United States Department of Justice investigation into Walters’ business dealings, while this Chelsea sale is not something that will be triggered imminently.

Meanwhile, off field discussions haven’t stopped Chelsea being active in the transfer market but the latest report suggests speedster Pedro Neto could be off to Al Hilal.

Sky Sports reports that Chelsea have put a $191 million price tag on the Portuguese winger if the Saudi Arabia club are serious in securing him.

- Football360.com.au

WHO IS JOSH KUSHNER, THE BILLIONAIRE WHO JUST BOUGHT THE LAKERS?

Joshua Kushner, founder of Thrive Capital, speaks during the Hill & Valley forum at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images

New York —  Josh Kushner doesn’t give many interviews or make public appearances often, but he’s keen on making headlines.

Kushner, the brother of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared, announced that he was teaming up with former Disney CEO Bob Iger to buy the Los Angeles Lakers for a record-breaking $12.5 billion.

It’s just one of many flashy deals and investments involving the 41-year-old as of late. His successful career as founder of Thrive Capital, a venture capital firm that raised more than $10 billion in its latest round, has served as a springboard to build his status as a powerful mogul.

“I think Thrive is a very small percentage of its potential. I feel like we’re just getting started,” Kushner said in a February podcast, frequently mentioning loyalty and humility as his core leadership values.

“I believe that my word, the word of the firm, is more important than anything else,” he continued.

Thrive has amassed a massive portfolio, ranging from early investments in high-profile technology companies like OpenAI and SpaceX, to trendy brands such as Spotify, Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS and movie studio A24. It’s also involved in sports, owning minority portions of the San Francisco Giants and the Miami Heat.

The New York-based firm also has an offshoot, called Thrive Holdings, which invests in companies that are working to modernize traditionally old-school industries through AI.

“I think this is the most important moment in our lifetimes. In many respects AI is underhyped,” Kushner said in a 2025 interview at the tech and policy summit The Hill & Valley Forum.

Kushner’s Thrive is also a pivotal investor in OpenAI, most recently funneling another $1 billion to the company in December, CNBC reported. He shares a close working relationship with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

“Josh makes high-conviction bets on high-quality companies and founders, and he doesn’t care too much about what other investors think. I feel a lot of camaraderie with that,” Altman told Fortune in 2024.

Josh, born in New Jersey, is the son of real estate tycoon Charles Kushner. He’s the younger brother of Jared Kushner, who is more well known these days as the son-in-law of President Donald Trump. His father Charles was pardoned by Trump in 2020 over a 2005 conviction on federal tax evasion charges.

Founder and CEO of Thrive Capital Josh Kushner attends the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference at the Sun Valley Lodge on July 10, 2026 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Josh, however, has largely steered clear of associating himself with the Trump family. Rather, he’s building one of his own with model Karlie Kloss, who married in 2018 and have three children. The pair are regulars at the Met Gala.

Still, the two have not been fully able to separate themselves from his family. (“Not even to dinner with the Kushners?,” one contestant on reality TV show Project Runway infamously quipped to Kloss over criticism about a dress designed for her.)

“I’m sure I’m not the only person in this country who does not necessarily agree with their family on politics,” Kloss said in a later interview. “… my man and I have been through a lot together and you know I’m so proud that he’s my partner.”

Kushner said in 2017 that “It is no secret that liberal values have guided my life and that I have supported political leaders that share similar values.”

Kushner also founded Oscar Health in 2012, a health insurance company that initially capitalized on the creation of the Affordable Care Act marketplaces and recently posted record profits.

According to Forbes, Kushner is worth about $5 billion.

Still, not all of his bets are successful: Last month Kushner’s Thrive Eternal was part of a controversial —and quickly scrapped — plan with FIFA to sell private stakes in upcoming World Cup tournaments. FIFA said that the money generated will be reinvested back into the sport.

Kushner’s purchase of the Lakers “serves as a way to put the FIFA controversy behind him quickly and almost turn a new leaf in the sports sector,” Mark Conrad, professor of law and ethics at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, told CNN over email.

“It certainly puts him on the map more than before,” he said.

- Jordan Valinsky and Ramishah Maruf

4 REASONS FOR JEFF BEZOS TO BE BULLISH ON LIVERPOOL

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 06: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between USA and Belgium at Seattle Stadium on July 06, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Soobum Im - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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FIFA VIA GETTY IMAGES

According to a report early Monday from Sky Sports, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is part of a consortium that is nearing a purchase of one-third of Liverpool Football Club. The transaction will value the famous English Premier League outfit at about $6 billion, per that report.

With a current net worth estimated at $283.8 billion, Bezos is the world’s third-wealthiest man. And while Amazon Prime Video has become an increasingly prominent player in the world of live sports TV rights, the investment would be Bezos’ first directly into a major professional sports team.

Bezos wouldn’t be anywhere close to a majority investor in the club, given that there are several members of the consortium that would take one-third control of the 20-time English league champions.

Even so, it’s intriguing that Bezos might begin his dalliance in sports ownership in the Premier League, rather than an American league such as the NFL, where he was once linked to a potential purchase of the Washington Commanders.

Why might one of the world’s most influential businessmen think the Premier League is the right place to invest right now? Read on for four possible reasons.

Bang for the Buck?

While $6 billion is a substantial figure, it’s less than half of the going rate for the Dallas Cowboys, currently the world’s highest valued sports franchise at $13 billion.

Yet Liverpool has exponentially more followers worldwide, a figure estimated in the hundreds of millions thanks to the Premier League’s unrivaled global distribution.

Of course, the overwhelming majority of Cowboys and other NFL fans live in United States, the world’s wealthiest economy, and it’s the NFL’s domination of that economy that leads to the high valuation of the Cowboys and other franchises. But there’s still a case that global soccer entities like Liverpool bring more for their investment buck.

Unique Growth Potential

The immediate aftermath of the 2026 World Cup in the United States could prove uniquely favorable when it comes to global soccer brands growing their profile among American audiences.

For better or worse, the assumption among sports media types has been that fans newly infatuated with the sport will seek to continue their interest by watching the Premier League, rather than MLS or other domestic U.S. leagues. And there could be a lot of those folks if the TV numbers are any indication.

The final between Spain and Argentina on July 19 drew an audience of more than 60 million viewers in the United States, according to data provided by rights holders Fox and Telemundo. That made it the most-watched non-NFL sporting event in the U.S. since the Nancy Kerrigan-Tanya Harding scandal captivated audiences at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games.

Premier League audiences on NBC have already proved sizable, rivaling national NBA or MLB regular season broadcasts on network TV.

More Revenue Control

Unlike NFL franchises, which operate with widespread revenue sharing between the 32 teams, Liverpool FC and other huge soccer brands have more control over their own revenue generation.

Money from the Premier League’s TV contracts are distributed partially by merit, meaning higher achieving clubs and those appearing in more televised games take in a larger share. And unlike the NFL, soccer clubs keep all of the revenue they generate from commercial partnerships, matchday revenue and merchandise sales.

If this is truly a watershed moment for major European soccer in the U.S., the revenue potential of that moment may be even larger than an equivalent opportunity within U.S. pro sports leagues.

Better Competitive Prospects

After a famously long drought, Liverpool have won two of the last seven English Premier League titles. And with Pep Guardiola departing as Manchester City manager following last season, it feels like there is an opportunity for another club to overtake City as the dominant force in English football.

Liverpool certainly won’t be the only team trying to do that. But they are among the clubs most suited to be successful, given the combination of their recent upward trends and history of success.

On the flip side, global soccer isn’t constrained by the same North American competitive models that create the parity of the NFL. Only seven clubs have won the Premier League since it split from the old English Football League in the early 1990s. So if Liverpool can emerge as the new dominant force, their place atop the English football pecking order could become relatively stable.

- Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes

LIVERPOOL RECEIVE OFFER FOR MINORITY STAKE FROM CONSORTIUM LED BY AMIT BHATIA WHICH COULD TAKE REDS' VALUE PAST £4.5BILLION - WITH BUSINESSMAN QUITTING ROLE AS QPR CO-OWNER

 

Businessman Amit Bhatia is part of a consortium in talks to buy a small stake in Liverpool

British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia is part of a consortium in talks to buy a small stake in Liverpool that could take the club’s value to north of £4.5billion

Bhatia, the son-in-law of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, was co-owner at Championship side Queens Park Rangers – and has a stand named after him at Loftus Road – before surprisingly stepping down from their ownership setup on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group said in a statement: ‘An investment consortium led, managed, and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club.’

Nothing is official yet and, if it was to proceed, it would follow a similar structure to a deal made three years ago when FSG sold a small stake to sports investment firm Dynasty.

Liverpool are currently in Chicago as they begin their pre-season tour of the USA. 

Andoni Iraola's side play Sunderland in Nashville on Saturday, followed by Wrexham in New York and Leeds back in Chicago, before returning home at the start of August.

- LEWIS STEELE

RICK ROSS TO LEBRON JAMES DITCH THE DUNKS ... Come Chase Billions In MIA!

Rick Ross is putting on his boss hat -- and dropping some straight-up career advice on LeBron James!

The Miami rap legend and die-hard Heat fan sat down with TMZ Sports in NYC this week and made it crystal clear where King James should take his talents next ... a return trip to South Beach.

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And, not necessarily for rings or highlights (not only, at least) ... but for the bag.

"I'm talking from a boss's perspective," Ross told us. "The boss move is for LeBron to come to Miami where the most billionaires are at. Because of his brand. You got to feed the other 30 businesses that Bron has created."

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Rozay makes it clear he isn't shading Cleveland -- one of the favorite landing spots for LBJ -- in fact, he likes The Land a lot ... but it doesn't quite live up to South Beach.

"Cleveland, I just left Cleveland two days ago. Amazing city. We had an amazing pool party. But it ain't nothing like Miami," Ross said.

"This is about business, guys. I know you guys who are still fascinated, who want to see him jump from the free throw line and dunk. No, I want to see him make some of the biggest empires and put his logos on some of those new big buildings downtown in Miami. And do more business with the billionaires that's down there."

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In other words, the math's simple, the way Rick sees it.

"I'm sure there's more billionaires in Miami than it is in Cleveland. So it's a lot of money to get. And what y'all want to do? Watch Brian get more money on, right? Right?"

LeBron's future is without any debate one of the biggest storylines in the NBA right now, and if Ross has his way, the Heat -- who just traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo -- would be bringing in one of the G.O.A.T.S. to fill up the stat sheet.

Oh, and to back up the Brinks truck!

- TMZ Sports 

LIV GOLF FOCUSED ON LONG TERM DUNDING SOLITION AMID OF POTENTIAL BANKRUPTCY PLAN

Anthony Kim, Dustin Johnson, Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry of 4Aces GC during day four of LIV Golf Virginia at Trump National Golf Club on May 10, 2026.

Getty Images via AFP

TORONTO – LIV Golf said on May 19 that it remains focused on securing a transaction that positions the organisation for the long-term, in response to a report that said the rebel circuit has begun laying the groundwork for a potential US bankruptcy filing as a last resort if it fails to raise new funds.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has spent more than US$5 billion on LIV Golf since it launched in 2022, said in April that investing in the league no longer fit with its investment strategy.

The PIF’s decision to cut LIV Golf’s funding at the close of the 2026 season has now left the breakaway circuit scrambling for new backers and raises questions about the future of its big-name players on lucrative contracts.

A Bloomberg News report earlier on May 19 said that LIV Golf is weighing options, including seeking new investors, but it is also bracing for the league’s possible collapse after the season ends in August.

When asked about the report, a LIV Golf spokesperson declined to confirm it, saying only that the league remains focused on building a sustainable future and is exploring multiple paths.

“Leadership is focused on identifying the right long-term strategic partners who believe in our mission to grow the game of golf worldwide,” the spokesperson told Reuters.

“These conversations are just getting under way, and as they progress, the company expects to gain further clarity around the structure and timing of a potential transaction.”

LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil, speaking to reporters two weeks ago in his first press conference since the PIF announced that it was pulling its funding, said he had heard from plenty of potential investors.

“It was a split between private equity, family office and then your traditional like high net worth – you probably know who they are, the guys who invest in sports and sports teams. So that’s been really positive,” he said.

“It’s still early. We haven’t gotten to market yet. We haven’t finalized our business plan. We’re still picking and prodding. We have a good sense at this point... we know where we’re going, and we’re just going to tighten the screws.”

He also said earlier this week he is seeking as much as US$250 million in investment capital beyond this year, according to an Axios report.

According to the report, LIV Golf is letting it be known to prospective investors that an infusion of US$250 million will make the league profitable within two years.

LIV has previously said it posted a 100 per cent increase in revenue year-on-year this season and was convinced that the team golf model would be highly attractive to investors.

Through big-money contracts and lucrative purses, LIV managed to lure a number of golf’s biggest names from the PGA Tour, including Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed.

LIV Golf launched in 2022 with the backing of the PIF and critics have decried it as a vehicle for the country to attempt to improve its reputation in the face of criticism of its human rights record, which the Saudi government denies. 

- REUTERS

LIV GOLF SEEKS 'LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PARTNERS' AS SAUDI ARABIA'S PIF CONFIRMS EXIT

 

[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 5, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Bryson DeChambeau in action during the second round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images

LIV Golf plans to continue without the financial backing of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, touting "100% year over year" financial growth in 2026.

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) formally announced it would end financial support of LIV Golf at the end of the 2026 season.

"PIF has made the decision to fund LIV Golf only for the remainder of the 2026 season," a PIF statement read Thursday. "The substantial investment required by LIV Golf over a longer term is no longer consistent with the current phase of PIF's investment strategy. This decision has been made in light of PIF's investment priorities and current macro dynamics."

Under a reshaped model, LIV established a new, independent board and envisions further commercial agreements to stabilize the intended PGA Tour competitor.

"LIV Golf is transitioning from a foundational launch phase to a diversified, multi-partner investment model, with a formal process underway to attract long-term financial partners," the circuit said in a statement Thursday, hours after learning the financial underpinning from the PIF was ended.

Signs of a fracture in the PIF-LIV emerged earlier this year and simmered to the surface last week, when ESPN obtained an email LIV CEO Scott O'Neil sent to staff claiming the 2026 season will continue "exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle." He made no mention of LIV's future beyond 2026, however.

LIV said the new board will be headed by Eugene Davis, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PIRINATE Consulting Group LLC and Jon Zinman, the founder and managing member of JZ Advisors LLC. They are tasked primarily with "institutionalizing the league, formalizing its ownership structure, and evaluating the range of strategic opportunities," LIV Golf said Thursday.

Founded in 2021, LIV Golf made its debut in June 2022 and used lavish, guaranteed contracts to lure dozens of stars like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau away from the PGA. PIF has provided LIV with more than $5 billion, but the league has reportedly lost millions of dollars per year. Earlier this month, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF's governor and LIV's main financial backer, shared a plan for the kingdom to cut back on international investments and focus on more domestic projects.

DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Rahm reportedly turned down the opportunity to return to the PGA Tour earlier this year. According to MSN.com, some LIV players have reached out to the DP World Tour.

--Field Level Media

FORMULA 1 TEAMS | VALUATION

 

'SAUDI PROJECT IS OVER' - RICHARD KEYS CLAIMS PIF 'LOOKING TO SELL' NEWCASTLE UNITED FOR £1BN IN BOMBSHELL UPDATE

Newcastle United remain adamant that the Public Investment Fund are committed to the long-term project.

Disgraced former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys has claimed the Public Investment Fund are actively looking to sell Newcastle United.

Well-connected in the region, the 68-year-old has worked for Qatari broadcaster beIN Sports since 2013. Keys was a vocal critic of the Saudi-backed takeover when the bid stalled - and temporarily broke down - in 2020.

An inquest is underway on Tyneside after Newcastle lost to bitter rivals Sunderland at St James’ Park on Sunday. Adding salt into the wounds, Keys has declared that PIF are giving up on the project and have placed a £1billion price tag to potential suitors.

‘Saudis want £1bn’ - Richard Keys

“Another whisper I picked up recently - and I don’t think this will come as a surprise to anybody - I’m told the Saudis are looking to sell Newcastle,” he wrote in his personal blog. “Regulars know I’ve been saying for some time the project was over. Apparently, there are interested parties, but the Saudis want £1billion. £500million is nearer the mark.”

Newcastle United stance

Newcastle insiders are adamant that PIF remain in constant dialogue with the key shot-callers at St James’ Park. David Hopkinson - appointed CEO in September - runs the club on a day-to-day basis but any major decisions need to be signed off by the Saudi backers.

However, there has been a growing sense from supporters that the Middle Eastern investment fund have become distant from events at the Magpies. Fans are yet to be given an ultimate resolution on St James’ Park’s future despite being told to expect an update in “early 2025”.

Noises around the mooted training ground development have also gone quiet in recent months. While messaging from the top remains bullish, it is becoming a case of “actions, not words” that has left a section of Newcastle supporters to question their intention.

David Hopkinson makes 2030 vow

Speaking last month, new Toon CEO Hopkinson reiterated that the majority owners are ambitious about Newcastle. In words that have since become a hot topic on Tyneside, he doubled down on his mission to propel the club to global stardom by 2030.

“The No.1 thing I talk to the ownership about is ambition,” Hopkinson told talkSPORT. “That’s the magic word here, having the correct ambition.

“We have total alignment on that. This is a club that, by 2030, will be consistently contending for the top prizes in global football. We have a lot of wood to chop between here and there. When I see Newcastle United, everywhere I look, I see opportunity.”

- Charlie Bennett

AVERAGE FRANCHISE VALUATION BY LEAGUE

 

VALUATION-TO-REVENUE RATIOS ACROSS LEAGUES