João Félix switched from Chelsea to Al-Nassr. Did Saudi Arabia help a club that he co-financed? The question shows that multi-club ownership can be veiled.
The question of how Racing Strasbourg managed to move nine FC Chelsea players to France in the past two years seems to require a more complex research at first glance. But a few seconds are enough with a search engine on the Internet.
The Chelsea FC, who was the only club to win all the European cups that existed and gives, and the French first division club, whose profit of the National Championship in 1979 is the greatest success, have the same owner with the “Blueco” consortium.
Multi-Club ownership is called. Probably also because some questions in this context cannot be answered even after very complex research.
João Félix for up to 50 million euros to al-Nassr
Here the name João Félix comes into play. The Portuguese is a footballer blessed with extraordinary talent, but who has never shown his skills over a longer period of time at a club. He did not succeed at FC Chelsea either, and maybe this summer he moved to his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo and his Saudi Arabian club al-Nassr.
Multi-Club ownership
“Multi-Club Ownership” is the possession or participation of an owner in several clubs. The possible advantages for the owners and risks for competition go far beyond suspicion of agreed games. Transfer within a network of clubs of multiple participation could be made at prices that meet the needs of investors – and not the actual market values. The time can also be selected. In this way, taxes can be avoided or financial fair play rules can be observed at least on paper. Clubs can be degraded into farm teams that serve the tip of their pyramid. The identity of your clubs can be lost for fans.
The change will also have to do with a lavish content, but maybe (and probably) there is also a kind of multi-club ownership behind the transfer, which can bring in Chelsea FC, including supposedly easy-to-reach bonuses. That would be roughly the sum that the offensive player, which was last borrowed to AC Milan, cost in the summer of 2024.
Even at Chelsea FC only one intermezzo: João Félix
Chelsea FC needs a lot of money from transfers, because it also spends a lot of money on transfers. In the past week, for example, he paid exactly 44.18 million euros for the 19 -year -old defender Jorrel Hato to Ajax. The club from Amsterdam is noted on the stock exchange and therefore announces the transfer sums to the places behind the comma.
Chelsea is far from being transparent, but at least it is known that about a third of the shares in “Blueco” belong to a different consortium than whose face to death. The American is therefore generally considered the owner of the club from London. He does not even hold 15 percent shares.
However, more than 60 percent belong to the private equity company “Clearlake Capital”. Where this company gets its money from is not publicly apparent. However, there are some serious sources that state that the Saudi Arabian State Fund PIF invested at Clearlake.
Is Saudi Arabia investing through the back door near Chelsea?
PIF is now one of the very big players in the world of sport and thus also in the world of football. The fund controls four clubs of the highest Saudi Arab league. Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ortihad and Al-Ali are part of the PIF portfolio, which, like the whole country, is dominated by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, which is notorious for the violation of human rights.
Very few people still defend themselves against his money. One of them includes a small group of Newcastle United fans, another club from the Premier League, which is clearly dominated by Saudi Arabia.
In -transparency prevents control
At Chelsea FC there is evidence of an investment, but there is speculation, and that makes it so difficult for the keepers of the competition. Because there are rules that are supposed to secure the integrity of the competition. Chelsea FC violated it in recent years and has also been sanctioned.
Therefore, he now has to take a closer look at how he manages not to spend as much money on transfers more than to take.
It is practical that Al-Nassr for Félix pays a sum that is about twice as high as the estimated market value.
This fits in a number of transfers that Chelsea has made with clubs in recent years that belong to Saudi Arabia. The 20-year-old Brazilian ângelo also switched to Al-Nassr for more than 20 million euros before the past season.
Al-Hilal won Kalidou Koulibaly a year earlier for about the same amount, although its market value was also significantly lower.
Purchase via market value
That was the same with goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who also switched to Al-Ali in 2023.
Freelig was free in the same summer N’Golo Kantè, who switched to Al-Ortihad, but so that the Chelsea FC’s salary budget relieved, an important component when it comes to compliance with financial rules.
João Félix signed a contract at Al-Nassr, which is valid until 2027. Such a short term is unusual for a player who is just 25 years old. Chelsea should earn resale.
This is also not evidence of multi-club ownership through the back door, but the change as already preceded raises questions that neither the Premier League nor the UEFA can answer due to the non-transparent ownership structures.