Rovers rule out big spending
October 28, 2010, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
BLACKBURN fans hoping to see their team competing with Manchester City and Chelsea to sign star players are likely to be disappointed after the Indian company trying to buy it said it will spend only 5 million pounds (US$7.9 million) in the January transfer window.
Asian poultry giant Venky's has agreed to pay 46 million pounds (US$73 million) for the Premier League club but company chairperson Anuradha J Desai said that lavish spending is not on the agenda.
Unlike Manchester City, which has spent more than 300 million pounds on players since being bought by Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Mansour in 2008, Blackburn will likely depend upon loan signings to strengthen a side that is above the relegation zone only on goal difference.
"We won't need to buy expensive players, we can always lease them," Desai said. "We don't expect to be in the top five of the Premier League. We will be happy to be in the top 10 to 12."
That means Blackburn is unlikely to break its 9-year-old transfer record any time soon.
Blackburn paid Manchester United 8 million pounds for striker Andy Cole in December 2001, but has since spent more than 5 million pounds on a player only twice.
Manchester City's record signing is the 32.5 million pound Robinho, while Chelsea and billionaire owner Roman Abramovich spent 30 million pounds on Andriy Shevchenko in 2006.
Venky's is owned by the VH Group, which Desai said was buying Blackburn to gain international publicity. "Football is a global craze and as the VH Group globalizes, setting up feed plants and hatcheries around the world, we believe we can benefit from being owners of a major football club," Desai said. "It will help build our brand."
Desai told Indian newspaper The Economic Times that Indian companies and multinationals had already approached Venky's to ask about the prospect of sponsoring the northwest England team's shirts and stadium.
Venky's managing director B Venkatesh Rao said on Tuesday that the completion of the takeover would be announced within 10 days.
The poultry farming and pharmaceuticals specialist would be the first Indian company to own a Premier League team.
Manchester United, Aston Villa, Sunderland and Liverpool are owned by Americans, while Chelsea, Manchester City, Birmingham and Fulham also have non-British owners.
Blackburn was put up for sale two years ago by the Jack Walker Trust.
Asian poultry giant Venky's has agreed to pay 46 million pounds (US$73 million) for the Premier League club but company chairperson Anuradha J Desai said that lavish spending is not on the agenda.
Unlike Manchester City, which has spent more than 300 million pounds on players since being bought by Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Mansour in 2008, Blackburn will likely depend upon loan signings to strengthen a side that is above the relegation zone only on goal difference.
"We won't need to buy expensive players, we can always lease them," Desai said. "We don't expect to be in the top five of the Premier League. We will be happy to be in the top 10 to 12."
That means Blackburn is unlikely to break its 9-year-old transfer record any time soon.
Blackburn paid Manchester United 8 million pounds for striker Andy Cole in December 2001, but has since spent more than 5 million pounds on a player only twice.
Manchester City's record signing is the 32.5 million pound Robinho, while Chelsea and billionaire owner Roman Abramovich spent 30 million pounds on Andriy Shevchenko in 2006.
Venky's is owned by the VH Group, which Desai said was buying Blackburn to gain international publicity. "Football is a global craze and as the VH Group globalizes, setting up feed plants and hatcheries around the world, we believe we can benefit from being owners of a major football club," Desai said. "It will help build our brand."
Desai told Indian newspaper The Economic Times that Indian companies and multinationals had already approached Venky's to ask about the prospect of sponsoring the northwest England team's shirts and stadium.
Venky's managing director B Venkatesh Rao said on Tuesday that the completion of the takeover would be announced within 10 days.
The poultry farming and pharmaceuticals specialist would be the first Indian company to own a Premier League team.
Manchester United, Aston Villa, Sunderland and Liverpool are owned by Americans, while Chelsea, Manchester City, Birmingham and Fulham also have non-British owners.
Blackburn was put up for sale two years ago by the Jack Walker Trust.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
