da brwin： Swansea City have revealed plans which will see their current shareholders make millions by selling their shares to American Investors, according to The Guardian.
da betcris： US sports team investors Stephen Kaplan and Jason Levien head the proposed venture, with the agreement proposing that the club’s eight shareholders sell the majority of their share’s to the US consortium.
The deal will exclude the Swansea City Supporter’s Trust, who currently own a 21.1% share in the club. The trust’s relationship with the club – which arose during Swansea’s 2001 financial crisis – has been hailed across England as a model for British football clubs.
Trust director, Huw Cooze, told the trust forum he was ‘hurt’ by the secrecy of the negotiations and is now looking to maintain the trust’s position if the alleged takeover were the go ahead.
Due to suggestions that the remaining shareholders may not sell all their current shares – including chairman Huw Jenkins who intends to stay at the helm despite the deal – Kaplan and Levien may only purchase a 60% stake.
The 60% is a lower share than originally proposed by Kaplan, who’s first proposition of 75.1% was met with hostility from the supporters and trust alike.
According to the Guardian, club is now valued at £100m, one hundred times the £1m paid for the club by the the nine shareholders, including the trust, in 2002.
Selling would see shareholders make a vast profit, but Huw Jenkins has stated the investment will “help the club progress on and off the field” in an official statement on the club’s website.
Despite Jenkins statement, Levien has not made firm promises that the consortium will invest new money of their own for signing players nor expanding the stadium.
[ad_pod id=’ffc-poll-2′ align=’center’]
[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]