American investors as well as Premier League side Newcastle United have reportedly entered the race to buy Vincent Tan-owned KV Kortrijk.
Tan, who took over the Jupiler Pro League in 2015, has been fighting fires at Cardiff City and Kortrijk this season, with the teams battling against relegation. The two teams are now safe in their respective leagues – the Championship and Belgian top flight.
However, the last fortnight has seen Kortrijk endure turmoil, with chairman Ronny Verhelst and general manager Matthias Leterme both announcing they would leave the club, citing an "unreasonable attitude" from their Malaysian owner as one of the deciding factors, according to Flemmish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.
The team's manager, Bernd Storck, had already left the club, leaving Kortrijk without a number of senior figures ahead of what looks like a huge summer restructure.
The same Belgian publication stated that Tan preferred to sell Kortrijk, which he bought for around £4million, with two English clubs looking to add to their portfolios. However, Bournemouth were said to be put off by the infrastructure and Burnley's interest cooled because the price was pushed up.
Now, though, Het Nieuwsblad claim another major player has entered the race to sign Tan's club. They report that American investors the Kaminski Group are interested in rolling out a network of clubs across the world.
The group is headed by Maciek Kaminski, an American born in Poland, who is the founder and president of Kaminski Asset Management Inc., based in the US. The management company manages funds worth billions, having a significant say in the stock exchange.
The Times reported back in June 2022 that Kaminski set up a business, KAM Sports, with the primary objective being to purchase a series of sports outfits and media rights. Last year they were heavily linked with a takeover of Everton, while Greek side Panetolikos FC were also thought to be of interest to the Kaminski Group.
They also cite a report by the Daily Star, which claims that Newcastle United are looking to kickstart their multi-club model by purchasing Kortrijk.
The article, via The Express, states that the Magpies are looking at a number of different options to expand their network and have earmarked Belgium as their next port of call. Initially, it was thought the Saudi group would purchase KV Oostende, however their relegation from the Jupiler Pro League has made that proposition less attractive.
So it is now reported that, with Tan said to be keen on selling the Belgian club, Newcastle are "planning a trip" to Kortrijk and that the Malaysian business tycoon would be willing to accept an offer in the region of £15m.
Speaking at the Business of Football Summit in March, Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley revealed that the St James’ Park outfit were looking at several options, explaining: “We’re looking at everything in terms of how we grow our brand, our club.
“Opportunities to buy players affordably well early in the cycle are critical to our growth. We’re very focused on the academy and young players. We’re bringing some exciting guys in. Obviously, we’ve looked at a multi-club but whenever you look at multi-club you’ve got to make sure you’ve got the right fit with the changes around GBE points at the moment. It’s important to do that.
“You also have to choose your territory correctly and make sure you’ve got the right chemistry. Remember, you’re working with another fanbase and another area. It’s critical you set out what your goals will be. It’s complicated.”
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