French football club Paris Saint Germain (PSG) has been valued at around €4.25 billion following the disposal of some of the shares owned by Qatari owner QSI.
In another deal highlighting the scramble for top sports franchises, US hedge fund Arctos is buying 12.5% of PSG and though the financial details were not released numerous sources said the deal values the club at €4.25 billion (£3.45 billion) implying a cost of around €530 million.
That compares to a price of around $5 billion excluding debt for Manchester United based on reports of the amount UK billionaire Jim Ratcliffe is said to be paying for a 25% stake.
Including debt, the Radcliffe deal values ManU at between $6 billion and $6.5 billion, according to Reuters.
Chelsea was sold by Roman Abramovich last May for $5.2 billion to US billionaire Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital.
Ratcliffe's investment is expected to be confirmed next week having taken more than a year to come to fruition.
Unlikely Ratcliffe however, who has promised sweeping changes to the football activities of the Manchester club, Arctos said it will not influence on-field matters.
Instead, the hedge fund will focus on “operations and real estate initiatives”, such as the stadium, and new training ground.
Developing PSG’s women’s side will also fall to Arctos, which has a current portfolio of minority stakes in more than thirty sports franchises including Fenway Sports, the owner of ManU’s bitter rival Liverpool, Golden State Warriors, Pittsburgh Penguins and LA Dodgers.
Doc O’Connor, Arctos’ managing partner, said: “Our investment in the club fully aligns with our strategy of partnering with best-in-class teams across North America and Europe.
"We are excited to be joining the PSG family and look forward to working together with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to maximise the club’s potential providing strategic expertise and investment to drive the next phase of development, growth and success of this great institution.”
QSI bought 70% of PSG for €70 million in 2011 from US owners Colony Capital and completed the full purchase a year later, with the full estimated price of $131 million.