Zabeel Investments have been interested in investing in a football club for quite some time. They’ve spoken to Newcastle United and Manchester City in the past, are negotiating with Charlton Athletic and now have also spoken to West Ham regarding a possible take over.
While West Ham is arguably a more attractive option compared to Charlton, they are not exactly dying to sell or being crushed under the weight of unmanageable debt. Gudmundsson’s personal fortune has taken a hit but it’s unlikely that a billionaire would cash out on a sub-100m investment when his business interests outside Iceland are still functioning and stable. West Ham and football in general have bright long-term prospects regardless of the current economic climate and Gudmundsson would want to hold on as long as possible.
What’s more likely is that Gudmundsson will start cutting costs in an effort to make West Ham more profitable AND challenging for a top-10 berth in the next couple of years. The cost-cutting has already begun and while making the club profitable makes it a more attractive option for investors, it also means that the billionaire has more room to ride out the economic troubles of today and tomorrow.
Unless Zabeel come in with a substantial offer that surpasses what Gudmundsson values the club at, they’re not going to be successful.
I wonder how Charlton fans will feel if Zabeel end up buying them – it’s not easy to be the club someone has ’settled for’ after fingering a host of other clubs.
HAHAHA TO BOB JELOUS CUNTS!!
From what the official spokesman at Zabeel Investments is saying, the West Ham story has no foundation. It sounds as if the whole West Ham connection smacks of some journalistic speculation. As for West Ham being an arguably more attractive proposition, at least Charlton haven’t got the considerable wage bill of West Ham nor the possibility of being sued for many millions by Sheffield United and others. Might make their Due Diligence findings a little less attractive.
lets all laugh at charlton the better buy hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
Why would anyone buy a club with finances and transfer dealing problems like west ham. They may not buy us but we will still be in existance in a few months. Mind you they must be worth a punt, cos they have clearly got some friends inside the FA, who also like to not play by the rules (their own rules at that). Looks like those bubbles have burst and turned to tears!!
and I bet BBHB you still think Tevez and mascherano were ineligible lol
west ham would be a far better buy. they’re already in the premiership and stable there, not in the fizzy pop. they have a proper size ground and need a bigger one, charlton can’t fill the little valley. the debt all the journos are speculating about is all accounted for and the youth development and buying will bear fruit in the next 2 or 3 years easily.
charlton will always live in the shadow of west ham FULL STOP
No matter which club the Zabeel investors end up buying its a fact Charlton for the time being will always be in the shadows of its bigger cousins West Ham, Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal and to a certain extend Fulham. Crisis or not, facts are facts. The gulf between the championship playing Charlton and their Premier league Londoners is huge. West Ham troubled or not, are in the top 6 in the top league whereas Charlton are 14th in the secong tier and have already lost 5 games and they had only just gone 10 games into their season