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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| Yeung makes offer for Birmingham | Yeung makes offer for Birmingham |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Hong Kong-based businessman Carson Yeung has made a £1-a-share cash offer for Birmingham City FC, which values the club at £81.51m ($134.6m). | |
| If the deal goes through it will mean that half of the clubs in the English Premier League are foreign-owned. | If the deal goes through it will mean that half of the clubs in the English Premier League are foreign-owned. |
| Mr Yeung's Grandtop International Holdings bought a 29.9% stake in the club in June 2007, but stopped short of buying the rest. | Mr Yeung's Grandtop International Holdings bought a 29.9% stake in the club in June 2007, but stopped short of buying the rest. |
| Grandtop has now received acceptances that would take its holding to 80%. | Grandtop has now received acceptances that would take its holding to 80%. |
| It made a £3m deposit for the English Premier League club on Thursday. | It made a £3m deposit for the English Premier League club on Thursday. |
| In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, Grandtop said it planned to "develop the club by investing in and strengthening the squad and infrastructure of the club over time". | In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, Grandtop said it planned to "develop the club by investing in and strengthening the squad and infrastructure of the club over time". |
| 'Global fan base' | |
| Grandtop also said that the primary aim of ownership would be supporting the club to "help it retain its Premier League status". | |
| It added that it planned to "significantly increase its global fan base", especially in Hong Kong and mainland China. | It added that it planned to "significantly increase its global fan base", especially in Hong Kong and mainland China. |
| EPL'S FOREIGN OWNERS Chelsea - Roman AbramovichLiverpool - Tom Hicks and George GillettManchester City - Sheikh MansourWest Ham - CB HoldingFulham - Mohamed Al FayedBirmingham City - Carson Yeung (offer proposal made)Manchester United - Glazer familySunderland - Ellis ShortAston Villa - Randy LernerPortsmouth - Alexander Gaydamek Football clubs must 'think long term' | |
| "It is intended that the current first team manager, Alex McLeish, will continue in this role, supported by his existing backroom team," it added. | "It is intended that the current first team manager, Alex McLeish, will continue in this role, supported by his existing backroom team," it added. |
| Grandtop also said that Karren Brady would remain in place as managing director of the club should its takeover succeed. | Grandtop also said that Karren Brady would remain in place as managing director of the club should its takeover succeed. |
| Grandtop's directors include the former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman. | Grandtop's directors include the former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman. |
| The company itself has been loss-making for each of the last four years, losing 91.8m Hong Kong dollars (£7.2m) in the year to the end of March 2009. | The company itself has been loss-making for each of the last four years, losing 91.8m Hong Kong dollars (£7.2m) in the year to the end of March 2009. |
| Its shares were suspended in Hong Kong ahead of the announcement. | Its shares were suspended in Hong Kong ahead of the announcement. |
| Mr Yeung will add to the growing list of foreign club-owners in the English Premier League, which includes the Glazer family at Manchester United and Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahayan, owner of Manchester City. | Mr Yeung will add to the growing list of foreign club-owners in the English Premier League, which includes the Glazer family at Manchester United and Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahayan, owner of Manchester City. |
| Mr Yeung was criticised by the Birmingham board in 2007 for not completely buying out chairman David Gold and co-owner David Sullivan. | Mr Yeung was criticised by the Birmingham board in 2007 for not completely buying out chairman David Gold and co-owner David Sullivan. |
| The Hong Kong businessman had been set a deadline of 21 December 2007 to complete his buy-out, but the Blues released a statement to the Stock Exchange on 20 December 2007 to announce that discussions had been terminated. | The Hong Kong businessman had been set a deadline of 21 December 2007 to complete his buy-out, but the Blues released a statement to the Stock Exchange on 20 December 2007 to announce that discussions had been terminated. |