Fans’ spending power takes a hit while players wages keep on rising
(Picture: GETTY)Foreign buyers are likely to circle UK football clubs, as rising players wages and increased debt levels combine with a week pound to encourage potential takeovers, according to an influential study of the sport’s finances.
A closely-watched survey of the English Football League from Begbies Traynor, the business recovery consultancy, found that almost half the EFL clubs nationally were showing signs of strained finances. It said potential bid interest, similar to this summer’s £4.5 billion takeover of Chelsea, could be a “lifeline” for some clubs, where increases to players wages were sharp enough to “threaten the existence of many clubs”.
