Premier League
SINGAPOREAN BUSINESSMEN BID FOR NEWCASTLE
Ten years after Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim made an ambitious attempt to buy English Premier League (EPL) giants Liverpool, local entrepreneurs Terence Loh and Nelson Loh are now spearheading a bid to take over another English club, Newcastle United.
The cousins are co-founders of Bellagraph Nova (BN) Group – along with Evangeline Shen – which owns over 30 entities across 100 countries in major business fields, including finance, sports, healthcare, luxury goods, entertainment and robotics. The Paris-based firm is worth an estimated US$12 billion ($15.6 billion).
In a statement to the media, BN Group confirmed on Saturday (Aug 15) that its co-founders “are at an advanced stage of negotiation” for the takeover, having already provided a letter of intent and proof of funds last Monday.
It added that its co-founders are “willing to massively contribute to the development of the club through their solid and international structure and a combined business/sport devoting mindset”.
The BN Group has also engaged Newcastle legend and former England captain Alan Shearer and former Magpies forward Michael Chopra to back their bid.
Citing “confidentiality given the highly sensitive nature of the transaction”, a representative declined further comment when contacted by The Straits Times.
Previously investment bankers at JP Morgan, the Loh cousins are known to be keen sports fans, having sponsored local professional race driver Yuey Tan, the national muay thai team, and the St Michael’s Soccer Association.
If BN Group’s bid gets the green light, the Lohs will be the first Singaporeans to own an EPL club. Lim, who now owns Spanish La Liga side Valencia, saw his takeover attempt for Liverpool falling through in 2010, while Singaporean businessman Bill Ng had offered to buy Scottish Premier League side Rangers in 2012, but eventually withdrew his offer.
Founded in 1892, Newcastle are a strongly supported club that have won four first division/League titles and six FA Cups. The Magpies finished 13th in the 2019-2020 season.
BN Group’s interest provides Newcastle owner Mike Ashley with an alternative after a £300 million (S$538.2m) bid funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund fell through.
English Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said the proposed takeover collapsed after the group declined to take up the Premier League’s offer of independent arbitration to decide who would own the club.
Newcastle fan Terence Ong, 34, called the takeover bid by the Lohs “a potential breath of fresh air after 13 horrible years with Mike Ashley”, citing the owner’s concern about the bottom line and “lack of ambition”.
“Although finances matter, football cannot be run like a business and I hope the new owners realise that and engage the fans better, considering that successful teams always manage to get fans on their side,” said the Singaporean, who works as a marketing manager.
“The nationality of the prospective owners doesn’t really matter. As long as they can prove their credentials and show they have the best interest of the club at heart, it is something worth considering. Of course, if having Singaporean owners means the team will have more of a presence here, that is also good for the Newcastle fan base here.”
-The Straits Times
Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.
Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.
Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.
Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.
He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.
-Reuters
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Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.
Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.
Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.
Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.
Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.
United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.
“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”
Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.
Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.
-Reuters
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.
The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.
“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.
“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”
Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.
“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.
“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”
The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.
However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
-Reuters
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