Stefan Borson: This is what John Textor’s takeover plan could be after Wolves latest
Wolves are in a precarious position as they find themselves eight points from safety at the bottom of the Premier League table.
There has been speculation around a Wolves takeover deal following the club’s recent struggles on the pitch, with Vitor Pereira losing his job in recent days.
John Textor has emerged as a surprise name to buy Wolves after selling his shares in Crystal Palace over the summer.
talkSPORT reported on 27 October Textor has launched a bid to purchase the West Midlands club, with the offer believed to consist of £150million in cash and a further £262.2m in shares.
John Textor could have multi-club plans for Wolves
Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider Textor is likely keen to see how Wolves could perform as part of a multi-club model.
The American billionaire owns majority stakes in French club Lyon, Brazilian first division outfit Botafogo and Belgian side RWD Molenbeek through Eagle Football Holdings.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about a potential Wolves takeover, Borson said: “It’s a very difficult situation, especially where they are in the league. If you’ve got a severe relegation risk, then straight away your valuation is going to be very badly damaged by that, obviously, just because the risk level is really high there.
“Then you’ve also got to look at it and say, well, what would you do that was different from what Fosun have done over the years?
“I mean, they’ve had quite a few years of Premier League football, so it’s not immediately obvious to see how a new owner can come in and improve the picture. They’ve done okay on player trading. They’ve done okay commercially. The stadium is relatively well developed. They’ve been receiving Premier League money, so what is a new owner going to do that’s different from what was done in the past?
“That’s not straightforward to see. So, what is the big opportunity there? I don’t know.”
Chinese conglomerate Fosun International has owned Wolves since 2016, while the club have spent the past seven years in the Premier League.
Wolves owners facing takeover blow
There have been questions asked about Textor’s financial situation, with his Eagle Football Group owing Ares Management more than $450m (£345m).
“I think Texter’s view probably is, let’s put it in a multi-club model and let’s see if we can get some benefit from that,” said Borson.
“But I’m pretty skeptical about what he’s managed to do historically in that respect, so I think it’s a challenging situation for Wolves. I can understand why they’d want to sell, but I think in reality, the likelihood is nobody will bid right now.
“They will sit tight and see how this season pans out. If they’re a Premier League club next season, then that lends itself to potential interest.
“If they’re not, then people have got a choice, either they make a lower bid given the risk of promotion or they say, ‘Well, this is an opportunity to get it at a lower price from a lower base’. But it looks very challenging right now.”
Wolves are four points adrift of Nottingham Forest at the bottom of the Premier League table, while they face Chelsea on Saturday (8 November) at Stamford Bridge.
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