All Premier League & EFL clubs could be US-owned, says investment expert
In 2021, the then National League club Wrexham is taken over Directed by American actor Rob McElhenney and Canadian film star Ryan Reynolds.
Since then, the pair have helped the team gain promotion from the fifth tier of English football to the third tier, while the club’s global profile has been greatly enhanced by the TV documentary Welcome to Wrexham.
Sommerfeld said it was a “sexy” proposition to buy a club in League One or Two for a relatively low initial investment (£10-15m) and potentially significantly improve its status.
“It gives them an opportunity to prove an investment thesis in a relatively cost-effective way,” he said.
“These are super smart, deep-pocketed investors with huge egos and bravado who want to prove they can rise to the challenge of picking a team in League Two or League One and ‘doing Wrexham’ , into the Championship and perhaps eventually into the Premier League.
“You’d be surprised how many investors we’ve had during COVID-19 who have watched Welcome to Wrexham and Ted Lasso and said ‘I want to buy a team’.
“Romanticism is a big part of it. It’s something they (American Sport) don’t have in the FA Cup and promotion. It’s very sexy and easy to promote.”
