Paris Saint-Germain sell stake to US fund Arctos Partners in world record deal
Paris Saint-Germain have announced the sale of a minority equity stake to American fund Arctos Partners in what is thought to be a world record deal.
It is understood to value the club at €4.25bn (£3.64bn), eclipsing the £2.5bn Todd Boehly’s consortium agreed to pay for Chelsea in 2021.
The deal, thought to be for up to 12.5 per cent of PSG, adds to a series of US private equity investments in European football over the last few years.
Qatar Sport Investments (QSI), which owns the French league leaders, said that funding from the deal would go towards developing the club’s stadium and training ground.
They also say that investment will drive the club’s growth in the US and around the world.
Arctos Partners’ portfolio of investments in the sports industry includes a stake in Fenway Sports Group, which owns Liverpool.
The fund recently announced an investment in Aston Martin’s Formula 1 team, which valued the constructor at around £1bn and also hold stakes in sports teams ranging from the NBA’s Golden State Warriors to the MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, which is part-owned by Chelsea’s Boehly.
The deal means that QSI will no longer hold all shares in the club. The state-backed fund became the club’s sole owner in 2012 in a deal worth a total of $131m.
The Qatari ownership’s lavish spending on the world’s best players has brought PSG domestic dominance and made it a global commercial powerhouse.
Neymar and Lionel Messi departed in the summer, however, undertainty surrounds Kylian Mbappe’s future and they have yet to win the Champions League.
Nasser Al Khelaifi, president of PSG and chairman of QSI, said he was “delighted to welcome Arctos”.
“As a Club and institution, we are entering the next exciting phase of PSG’s growth and development, both on and off the pitch – which is based on long-term ambitions and attaining excellence in everything we do,” he said.
“Arctos is a fantastic partner to help us achieve our goals, bringing strategic expertise, ideas and innovation to our business, while providing investment and new relationships to support our footballing and sporting goals.”
Doc O’Connor, who is a managing partner of Arctos Partners, said he was looking forward to working with Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
“The first time we visited the Club, we felt the magic of PSG and its deep connection to the city of Paris,” he said.
“Our investment in the Club fully aligns with our strategy of partnering with best-in-class teams across North America and Europe.”