Announcement here:
https://www.silverlake.com/Images/Uploads/docs/Silverlake26111911085014950.pdf
What do you make of these quotes:
Silver Lake making a primary capital investment to further accelerate growth and fund technology and infrastructure development...The proceeds from the investment will be used by City Football Group to fund international business growth opportunities and develop further CFG technology and infrastructure assets
""We are excited to partner with the Board and CFG’s world-class management team to help drive the next phase of CFG’s growth in the fast-growing premium sports and entertainment content market.”
Also: No existing CFG shareholders are selling equity.
This is a capital injection then into Man City. That's my interpretation....so what do City do with the capital? Buy more overseas clubs, get a decent web-site, and expand the stadium? What after all are CFG's infrastructure assets? Could just as well relate to City's overseas clubs though like NYC.
Another point: Intellectually this ends the argument that ABu Dhabi controls Man City.
Not from the point that Sheikh Mansour's shareholding is diluted, but that if a state really is investing and controlling MCFC, then it does not need the funds from an overseas partner for growth. Clearly City have been and are operating on a commercial basis, not governmental basis. Expect this point to be lost on those with a vendetta, but I think a major underpinning of the argument that City are an adjunct of Abu Dhabi has just gone. A state doesn't look for financial help from commercial partners that dilute its holding. Although the investment does bring expertise.