Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are exploring the prospect of following Manchester City’s multi-club network model.
Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi owners have formed the City Football Group, a portfolio of clubs which includes three other European teams – Spain’s Girona, Belgium’s Lommel and French side Troyes – as part of a network including sides from 11 different countries.
Chelsea’s new owner, Todd Boehly, is understood to have begun the process of finding suitable network clubs for the west Londoners with the focus on teams in Belgium and Portugal. That interest is designed to help Chelsea facilitate the signing of prospects from those regions, while the club have also reportedly seen a proposal turned down by Brazilian side Santos.
Boehly has reportedly sought the advice of super-agent Jorge Mendes, for counsel on which Portuguese side to potentially affiliate with.
According to the Guardian, Liverpool and Arsenal – each of who are also under American ownership – are also planning multi-club networks.
Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, already own the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins, but are keen to add further football clubs to their sporting portfolio.
The forming of networks with clubs in multiple leagues can aid young players in attaining work permits for English football, with the post-Brexit changes having complicated matters for Premier League clubs.
