Is Katharina Liebherr having doubts regarding selling a share of Saints to Lander Holdings ? Arron Sanders looks at the latest rumours surrounding a deal that has been mooted for over six months now. Arron Sanders reports.
Gao Jisheng of Lander Sports Development who are behind a bid to take over Southampton Football Club was quoted by Reuters on Friday that the deal was being held up and that he wasn't sure if the current owner still wanted to sell, casting fresh doubts over negotiations.
Chinese based Lander have been in protracted talks to buy Saints from Katharina Liebherr since the start of the year, but the deal has hit several snags along the way, including Lander's Chinese stock market listed unit pulling out of the deal in April.
Gao stated the following:
'It is not clear at the moment. The seller is having second thoughts about selling the club,' although Gao who was attending an event in Beijing would not comment further on the deal.
The Premier League had given the Lander owner clearance to take an 80 percent stake in Southampton's holding company in June according to reports.
However, overseas investments have become riskier business this year amid a crackdown by regulators on 'irrational' spending overseas, including in sport.
This was highlighted when the takeover of Italian side Inter Milan was scrutinised on Chinese TV recently.
Last month Saints Chairman Ralph Kreuger stated that the proposed takeover would not affect the clubs business over the summer including in the transfer market.
However the lack of activity at St Mary's have caused some supporters to question this claim by Kreuger.
With the new heavier scrutiny within the Chinese market on foreign investment perhaps Katharina is simply just not comfortable that Lander have the financial means to take the club forward as previously thought.
Or could be a new mystery party have registered an interest in the club causing her to put the brakes on the deal with Lander?
As ever the latest reports leave us with many questions and it will be interesting to see how things develop from here.
What do you all make of this whole Chinese takeover saga? would you like a deal to be done with Lander at all?