A number of Southampton supporters have been reacting to a report from The Athletic that American investor Joseph DaGrosa could look at investing in other Premier League clubs if Gao Jisheng does not lower his valuation of the Saints.
It had been reported by the Daily Mail back in September that the Saints had been in talks with DaGrosa over the prospect of a takeover of the club worth around £200m. However, further reports had indicated that the potential deal had been delayed due to Gao altering the valuation of the club following their strong start to the Premier League season.
The Athletic have now reported that Gao is holding out for a valuation of around £200 million, which means DaGrosa would have to pay £160 million to buy him out and become the club’s majority shareholder. It is thought that the two parties are currently £50m apart in terms of their respective valuations of the club.
The report added that DaGrosa has informed the Saints that he is willing to look into investing in other clubs if a deal cannot be reached with Southampton. Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and West Ham are all thought to be under consideration as potential takeover options for the American investor.
Southampton fans react to DaGrosa reports
Many Southampton fans were sceptical over the potential takeover from DaGrosa, with some believing that he would not have the funds to properly make a success of owning the club and take them to the next level.
Gao paid I believe £210m for an 80% stake in 2017. He probably wants to recoup his investment … but very difficult during pandemic … fans need to be patient here, value could be higher in a post Pandemic world, we just dont know. #SaintsFC
— Phil (@PhilBrown1956) February 9, 2021
DaGrossa is a no from me. If he’s scrabbling around for the money to buy us I can’t imagine he’s going to have much to invest which is really the only thing people are annoyed at Gao for.
— Stu W (@Stumando28) February 9, 2021
In fairness, as much as I am no fan of the current owner, Burnley sold for £200m during the pandemic. We have a better set-up and facilities. So £200m for the club is a fair price. Also – if DaGrosa is haggling over £50m at this stage, that doesn’t bode well. #saintsfc https://t.co/4slDvxzRl6
— The Archers Road End | #LegacyFan (@ArchersRoadEnd) February 9, 2021
Borrowing money to buy a club in the middle of a pandemic never nodes well either.
— Will (@wl0ng9) February 9, 2021
Do I want a new owner? Absolutely
Do I like Gao? Of course not
Is DaGrosa the right man to come in and save #SaintsFC? Absolutely not
— ً (@sfcdan_) February 9, 2021
We need someone better than DaGRosa he isn’t right man but desperately need gao out
— neatola79 (@relax792) February 9, 2021
There is no chance Newcastle or West Ham will be cheaper than us, and the guy sounds like the worst kind of owner you could want as a fan, one who is going to be borrowing money. https://t.co/JCMBmEHzM7
— Chris (@cj_garrett) February 9, 2021
https://twitter.com/JHart_1993/status/1359090746675052544?s=19
