[FT]Private credit funds target English football clubs with player-backed loans

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Summary: Private credit funds are increasingly offering English football clubs loans secured against the estimated value of their playing squads, providing capital to finance transfers before revenues from player sales arrive. These loans may give lenders priority over some future transfer-fee receivables, although they cannot force clubs to sell players. Specialist firms such as Tifosy and Fasanara have pioneered the model in Europe, with loans reportedly reaching around 25% of a club’s squad value, while 23 Capital has relaunched with this financing as a core offering. Demand is growing amid record global transfer spending of €10.8bn this summer, with Premier League clubs accounting for 38% of the total. Clubs could use the loans to fund January signings and repay them with proceeds from summer sales, with Burnley among the few English clubs to have used similar arrangements. However, the trend raises concerns about financial sustainability, as English football faces mounting losses and debt. Ultimately, while squad-value financing offers clubs greater short-term spending flexibility, it risks increasing their dependence on future transfer income and exposing them to fluctuating player valuations.   submitted by   /u/MrIrishman699 [link]   [comments]