Athletic journalist answers when asked if Guochuan Lai wants to sell West Brom
Rising tensions between the UK and China have led to speculation surrounding Guochuan Lai’s ownership at West Brom.
The Guangzhou businessman has operated in almost complete silence since he bought the Baggies from Jeremy Peace for £200million in 2016, with his comments about Mark Jenkin’s retirement earlier this month being the first we had heard from him in a long time.
More pressingly, the fact that Chinese broadcaster CCTV has ceased airing the Premier League has led to Stan Collymore saying it could be a dicey time for Chinese-owned clubs in England.
Kevin Phillips has told West Brom News that he does not see Lai selling up since West Brom won promotion to the Premier League but The Athletic journalist Steve Madeley has suggested the contrary.
Writing on The Athletic website this week, he responded to a question asking whether Lai is looking to sell up.
He said: “I can’t say for sure that Mr Lai is keen to sell up, but I would say a sale is definitely more possible with Albion in the Premier League.”
When Lai paid £200million for West Brom four years ago, he bought a club that was established in the Premier League.
Now, he owns a club that has just been promoted to the Premier League with a squad that needs upgrades in almost every position.
Also, it has recently been declared that the UK is in recession due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit the financial side of football hard with no fans allowed in stadiums since early March.
Lai is definitely more likely to sell now that the club he owns is in the Premier League and the tensions between London and Beijing are bound to add to that.
However, if Lai wants to recoup the money he spend on buying the Baggies in 2016, he needs to invest in the squad to ensure it is up to scratch to establish itself back in the Premier League.
In other West Brom news, this player is set to exit the club after 61 first-team appearances.
Be sure to follow West Brom News on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on the Baggies and more exclusive interviews with Kevin Phillips.