West Brom in discussions with at least TWO possible buyers and could be sold for around £20m… as reign of unloved owner Gouchuan Lai edges towards its conclusion

West Brom in discussions with at least TWO possible buyers and could be sold for around £60m… as reign of unloved owner Gouchuan Lai edges towards its conclusion

West Bromwich Albion are in discussions with at least two possible buyers as the reign of unloved owner Guochuan Lai edges towards its conclusion.

The financially-troubled Championship club are thought to be available for about £60million and have attracted interest from overseas groups including one understood to be based in the United States.

Takeover specialist David Hinchliffe, described on the website of legal firm Walker Morris as ‘one of the best in the field in advising on the acquisitions and disposal of football clubs’, is believed to be involved in the process and Hinchliffe was seen in the directors’ box for Albion’s home game against Hull on November 4.

Hinchliffe and his team have advised on several takeovers including Evangelos Marinakis’ acquisition of Nottingham Forest in 2017 and Andrea Radrizzani’s of Leeds United in the same year. Radrizzani sold his stake to US vehicle 49ers Enterprises earlier this year.

 

Last December, Albion took out a £20million four-year loan with MSD Holdings, to cover the decline in revenue that followed relegation from the Premier League in 2021.

West Brom are in discussions with at least two potential buyers with interest also coming from overseas suitors

It could mean that the end of Guochuan Lai’s tenure as the club’s owner could soon come to an end

Lai has also failed to pay back £10m in loans.

Lai bought the club from Jeremy Peace for £175m in 2016 but his lack of investment in recent seasons has left him hugely unpopular with supporters, who have organised protests against his ownership during several fixtures at The Hawthorns.