A letter to the fans of Southampton Football Club from Katharina Liebherr regarding the proposed partnership with Chinese company Lander Holdings.

I am writing to you in relation to an announcement made in China today about Southampton Football Club and Lander Holding.

Please understand that I can only make limited comments regarding this process but I can assure you that any steps we do take will be in the best interests of the club. A potential partnership would need to clear multiple approvals and fulfil strict criteria before being confirmed.

The Premier League is increasingly competitive; we need to keep moving forward and look to new markets for commercial growth, innovation and to share our journey. Together we have had many years of progression and success, and ensuring this continues is the main focus of any possible partnership.

I cannot thank you enough for the continued support you give Southampton Football Club, and it makes me so proud to think we will soon be experiencing a major final together at Wembley. I hope you enjoy what will be a brilliant day for our club and look forward to a successful future together.

We March On

Katharina Liebherr

Photo: Action Images

IanRC added 23:56 - Jan 26 Interesting developments and good for her in reaching out to the fans. This appears to suggest this would be a partnership of joint owners rather than an outright buyout. Personally I would welcome that as I think her and her late father have been nothing but good for Southampton FC
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BoondockSaint added 00:09 - Jan 27 Great news! Anyone know if this money is going to come in before this window closes?
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SanMarco added 07:57 - Jan 27 I think it is months rather than days Boondock - if it ever happens. I, for one, would like to know a lot more about Lander Holdings. I read somewhere that they were making large losses...
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pintsizedsaint added 08:43 - Jan 27 Given the way the club is run at the moment, I feel confident that SFC are undertaking thorough due diligence on Lander. It's telling that KL's statement makes it clear that there are many more hoops to jump through before this lands. Key question is how much control will Lander get? It seems that it's not a takeover, so it's buying a stake with the view to an injection of investment and developing SFC as a brand in China's markets. Smart move! Football is growing rapidly in China with big investment opportunities and so it's important we stake a claim over there. Of course, Lander offer new money but will want something in return. We have to remember that. It's not a pet project like it was/is for Marcus and his daughter.

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SaintBrock added 10:32 - Jan 27 I hope she really is a smart business operator and does not cede any form of control to these joyriders. 33% is as much as we should allow them but they will insist on board representation for that level of investment. Virgin Media and Under Armour must approve this as well before any deal is signed off.
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