SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) - Southampton could be the latest English soccer club to secure investment from a Chinese company.
Lander Sports Development said in a statement on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on Thursday that a deal has been signed with Southampton owner Katharina Liebherr to buy a stake in the club’s holding company, St. Mary’s Football Group. No financial terms were disclosed.
Liebherr said in a club statement that a “potential partnership would need to clear multiple approvals and fulfil strict criteria before being confirmed.”
“The Premier League is increasingly competitive; we need to keep moving forward and look to new markets for commercial growth, innovation and to share our journey,” Liebherr said.
Manchester City, Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham have also received varying levels of Chinese investment over the past year.
Southampton qualified for the League Cup final on Wednesday, and is in 11th place in the Premier League.
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