El Kashashy investment offer, Guochuan Lai wants out entirely

Egyptian businessman Mohamed Elkashashy has offered to buy a minority stake in West Brom, but majority owner Guochuan Lai wants to cash out entirely, according to the Daily Mail.

The Athletic revealed on 15 June that Egyptian billionaire Elkashashy and his group along with Manchester-based sports lawyer Chris Farnell were in advanced talks to buy a minority stake at West Brom bringing an end to Guochan Lai’s nightmare majority control.

Albion’s owners are believed to be open to a sale and value the club at a figure which would include paying off the current debts (Express and Star, 22 June). It’s understood the need for fresh funds has become “increasingly urgent” with the Baggies’ debts including a £20million loan taken out by Lai early in 2023.

According to Daily Mail journalist Matt Hughes [24 June, page 107], Lai has cut his asking price for the club to £65m in his desperation to sell the entirety of West Brom.

Lai wants out

When news emerged last week of El Kashashy & Farnell’s bid to buy a minority stake in West Brom, fans may well have been forgiven for believing that a long and disastrous tide had turned at The Hawthorns.

And those dreams may now be in line to come true with Lai wanting out of West Brom, and desperately. Good riddance to him, because the Baggies have been suffering under his torrid ownership for too long.

The issue now is, now that Lai wants to sell up entirely, who would be willing to buy West Brom in full? El Kashashy only wants a minority stake as reported but that’s not Lai’s current wish.

Change is required and until Lai departs, there will be plenty of concern hanging over The Hawthorns.

The debts need clearing – and fast. We’ve seen in the past just how damaging huge losses can be. The likes of Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Portsmouth have all fallen foul of poor ownership decisions.

Despite West Brom’s struggles behind the scenes, it still represents an attractive club to purchase for potential investors but it seems as though that mess and cloud hanging over the Hawthorns may be too big a job for any interested party to take on.

The saga rambles on, unfortunately. West Brom need a full buyer, and fast.

In other West Brom news, a finance expert has shared a £50,000-a-week Baggies worry with a complex new investment on the cards.