Footballs biggest takeovers: Who did these new owners bring into the Premier League
You won’t find many football fans that disagree that money will always have an influence over the success of a club. While any club is perfectly capable of winning the league through hard work and sportsmanship, it never seems to work out this way. Money in a team’s pocket allows them to buy some of the best players from all over the world. This new status also brings more fans on board, which makes every home game feel more supportive.
There have been several large takeovers in modern football. With these takeovers always comes a slew of new transfers. So, what are the biggest takeovers in football, and who did these new owners have their eye on first?
Chelsea: Bought By Abramovich
The first major buyout in Premier League history occurred in 2003 when Chelsea was bought out by Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich. Before this historical takeover, the London club was a solid mid-table team who often qualified for the Champions League or got far in the FA Cup. However, their last league win was all the way back in the 54/55 season.
This was all about to change as the new owner went on a bit of a spree during the 2003 summer transfer window. Abramovich brought in new players like Hernan Crespo, Sebastian Veron, and Claude Makele. Unfortunately, the new team wasn’t able to bring home the Premier League trophy that season. However, a change in management led Chelsea to win the league the following season. Abramovich brought in Jose Mourinho to lead the Blues and their new team to the top of the league.
Man City: Bought By Sheikh Mansour
Another club that enjoyed some mid-table success before a huge takeover was Manchester City. The club had always lived in the shadow of their rivals, as fellow Premier League team, Manchester United, often brought home the Premier League trophy each season. However, all of that was about to change when Sheikh Mansour bought the club in 2008.
Almost mirroring Chelsea before them, the first act of this new owner was to go on a spending spree to change the line-up. Some of Man City’s first signings included forward Carlos Tevez, defender Wayne Bridge from Chelsea, and successful Brazilian midfielder, Robinho. Unlike Chelsea, however, Man City’s success in the league was less instantaneous. It would take Man City a few years to start competing. The club was able to continue to improve their standings each season, but their first Premier League win since the takeover didn’t arrive until the 2011/12 season. Nowadays, their success is so assumed that the odds for their games and competitions is quite low. Take a look at the best online sports betting sites to see these odds for yourself.
Liverpool: Bought By FSG
The takeover of Liverpool by FSG in 2010 is quite different from the previous two buy-out strategies. Liverpool had been a strong Premier League team for their entire career. They had even managed to win the Champions League five times before that. Unfortunately, the first six months of the 09/10 season were not as successful. This poor performance prompted the American owners to sell the club to an American sports conglomerate called Fenway Sports Group.
As with any takeover, the new owners started signing new players. The new signings included Andy Carroll and Luiz Suarez, while manager Roy Hodgson was sacked and replaced by Kenny Dalglish This switch proved fruitful as the club began winning games again. Liverpool even managed to lift the League Cup the following season. While there have been no Premier League wins since the takeover, the team was able to take home the Champions League trophy for the sixth time in 2019.
Newcastle United: Bought By Public Investment Fund
Newcastle United was not the team most fans expected to receive a lot of attention when they were taken over by the Saudi Arabian business group, Public Investment Group, in 2021. The club has had an interesting success rate in the Premier League. The team had never lifted the Premier League trophy and has even been relegated to the Championship a few times throughout the years. While there were a few legal disputes surrounding the takeover, the sale was finally permitted in October 2021.
The first players to hit the pitch after the January transfer window was Matt Targett, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, and Kieran Trippier. This takeover seemed to have yielded the desired result, as the team entered the 2021/22 season fighting relegation but ended the year in 11 th place. The team even managed to finish 3 rd behind Arsenal and Man City in the last season. While it is too soon to establish whether Newcastle will have the same success as these two clubs, the future does look brighter for the team than it ever has.
Conclusion
Some fans will always disagree with money’s role in the Premier League. However, by looking at the first few transfers and following success, you can’t argue with the results.