Wolves owners Fosun are open to selling minority shares in the club to new investors, according to financial expert Doctor Dan Plumley.
The Fosun Group bought 100% of Wolves shares from former owner Steve Morgan in 2016 in a deal worth around £45m, with the Chinese group swiftly bringing in Nuno Espirito Santo as manager.
Through their links with Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes, they pumped Wolves full of his talent pool of clients and won promotion to the Premier League in the 2017/18 season.
But the group now has reported debts of £17bn and is flogging assets worth £2bn to raise funds as the group’s financial concerns worsen.
Earlier in the month, it was reported by The Times that the Chinese owners are exploring the possibility of new investors to the club in the form of minority shareholders, but aren’t interested in a majority takeover of the club.
And Plumley has told Football Insider that the Old Gold are worth around £200m, meaning a 10-15% share would be worth £20-30m for a potential investor.
He said: “This is similar to the situation at Liverpool, albeit on a smaller scale.
“I think Wolves will be in a similar position here. If you don’t want to give up a chunk of your ownership and you choose minority investment, I do think we’re looking at 10-15%.
“I would suggest that they are worth around £200m, and that is contingent on their divisional status.”
TIF Thoughts on Plumley’s comments…
Wolves are currently rock bottom of the Premier League and are enduring their worst season since their return to the Premier League, with relegation a serious possibility if new manager Julen Lopetegui fails to turn things around soon.
The January window will be very appealing to the club and the manager, with investment surely being promised considering the renowned Spaniard’s appointment.
This could leave Fosun in a catch-22 situation where they are forced to invest to maintain the club’s top-flight status and worth, but at the same time, spend money that maybe isn’t available to them.