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Saracens: American investment firm in talks to buy £20m share in club
By Chris Jones
Saracens are involved in ongoing talks with a number of investors in a bid to raise £20m by selling 50 per cent of owner Nigel Wray’s stake in the club he helped turn into European and English champions.
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RugbyPass has confirmed that one of the potential suitors is American investment firm MSD Capital who have pumped money into various football clubs including Southampton, Burnley, Derby and Sunderland over the last two years.
However, MSD are not the only option and talks are currently taking place with Saracens who have just clinched a sponsorship deal with another US based company. StoneX Group was last week announced as the club’s new main sponsor and naming rights partner in a four-year deal. Allianz Park will be renamed the StoneX Stadium and the company’s UK subsidiary City Index will be on the players’ shirts.
Wray has reduced his involvement in the day to day running of the cub since the 2019 Premiership and European champions were engulfed in the salary cap scandal that led to a record £5.3million fine from Premiership Rugby Limited and relegation to the Championship.
Saracens, who are preparing for a season in English rugby’s second tier with a match against Ealing Trailfinders tomorrow, have loaned out key players to other Premiership teams while other squad members such as George Kruis ( Japan), Ben Spencer (Bath) and Jack Singleton ( Gloucester ) have left the club permanently. Forwards coach Alex Sanderson also left today to take the director of rugby role at Sale Sharks.
Despite these departures, Saracens remain one of the most high profile squads in World rugby boasting the talents of Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Mako and Billy Vunipola. MSD believe Saracens can make a significant impact in the American sports market to build on the work being done by Major League Rugby.
