Lionel Messi tipped to make Inter Miami worth $1bn and be MLS ‘game-changer’ June 8, 2023 Lionel Messi’s impending transfer to Inter Miami has been hailed as “a game-changer for Major League Soccer” that will make the US franchise worth more than $1bn. Messi announced on Wednesday night that he has chosen to join Miami over offers from Saudi Arabia and former club Barcelona after leaving Paris Saint-Germain. His superstar power [...]
What next for Manchester City if they win the Champions League? June 8, 2023 When the Abu Dhabi United Group bought Manchester City almost 15 years ago, the new owners’ stated aim was to turn a club who had gone 30 years without a major trophy into a major European force. On Saturday against Inter Milan in Istanbul, City could tick the last box on their checklist by winning [...]
Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim makes final takeover bid for Manchester United and sets deadline June 7, 2023 Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani has made a fifth, take-it-or-leave it offer for Manchester United in an attempt to break the deadlock over the club’s possible sale. Sheikh Jassim has given United owners the Glazers until Friday to accept his improved bid or he will walk away from the long-running negotiations. The move puts [...]
Apex Group lands $1m sponsorship deal with SailGP June 6, 2023 Financial services provider Apex Group has agreed a three-year sponsorship deal with SailGP believed to be worth in excess of $1m, Morning Wire can reveal. The deal, to be announced this week, will see Apex become the exclusive financial solutions partner for SailGP, which has just completed its third season. The sailing competition is backed [...]
Manchester City named world’s most valuable football club brand June 6, 2023 Treble-chasing Manchester City have added another title – the world’s most valuable football club brand. City have received the accolade from leading brand consultancy Brand Finance, whose annual Football 50 list is published today. The Abu Dhabi-owned club have overtaken Real Madrid at the top of the rankings for the first time following their sustained [...]
London Irish must pay players TODAY or be kicked out of Premiership Rugby May 31, 2023 Top-flight rugby club London Irish have been ordered to pay their players today or face expulsion from the Premiership. The Exiles were granted a 24-hour extension to settle May salaries by the Rugby Football Union amid delays to a possible takeover. The RFU is expected to announce this evening at around 7pm whether London Irish [...]
What is the cost of relegation from the Premier League? May 27, 2023 The cost of relegation from the Premier League has been called “the biggest financial jeopardy in world football” and this weekend Everton, Leicester City and Leeds United will be locked in a battle to avoid it. Two of those three teams will drop out of the richest domestic competition in the sport and into the [...]
Parachute payments uncertainty clouds the future of football’s richest game May 25, 2023 When Luton Town and Coventry City collide in Saturday’s Championship Play-Off Final there will be more than just glory at stake; both teams stand to make a minimum of £170m if they achieve promotion to the Premier League. It is a prize that has earned the traditional end-of-season fixture the tag of football’s richest game. [...]
Who has Premier League’s biggest and smallest wage bill? (Look away Chelsea fans) May 23, 2023 Chelsea’s lavish spending since their takeover by Todd Boehly’s consortium has seen them amass the biggest wage bill in the Premier League, according to new research. The Blues’ estimated payroll for this season totalled £216m, an increase of 18.3 per cent or more than £33m on the previous campaign. That saw their salary costs overtake [...]
Chelsea co-owner makes ‘game changing’ investment in pro squash circuit May 23, 2023 Chelsea co-owner and LA Dodgers chairman Mark Walter has announced a major investment in professional squash that the sport’s bosses have hailed as “a game changer”. The businessman has acquired a stake in Squash Media & Marketing with the intention to promote the sport to a global market. This comes months after Morning Wire revealed [...]