In what would surely be one of the biggest takeovers in recent memory, rumours have resurfaced about a possible sale of AC Milan to Bernard Arnault – French entrepreneur and owner of Louis Vuitton – for a reported €850 million.
Bernard Arnault is one of the richest men in the world – according to Bloomberg, he has assets estimated to be worth $113 billion, with one of those being fashion powerhouse, Louis Vuitton. LVMH (Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton) in turn owns a number of high-profile brands including Dior, Fendy, and Moët, and reports now suggest that the entrepreneur is looking to add another asset to his portfolio – that of European heavyweights AC Milan.
The Elliott fund, the Paul Singer-owned company that are currently in control of the Rossoneri, are reportedly looking to make a healthy profit on their investment when they took over the club back in 2017. They have never hidden the fact that they have no real interest in football and are only interested in profitability, something that has been reflected with the investment in the side over the last few seasons.
While nothing has come of it yet Arnault and LMVH once again seem to be the frontrunners to take over and purchase the club, although spokespeople on both sides continue to deny all reports. Those reports about the potential takeover originally surfaced back towards the end of last year and then they seemed to gain more traction again in January this year, with a number of media outlets reporting on the possible deal. The fact that the story has come up once more suggests that the move may be nearing, although again, there is nothing official to confirm this from either camp.
AC Milan have been something of a sleeping giant over the last decade, and this type of takeover could be something that would not only breathe new life into them on the pitch, but also take them into new stratospheres off it.
While significant investment in squad personnel would have the potential to place them in a position to break Juventus’s recent strangle hold over Serie A, the move could also leverage the city of Milan itself and its significant standing in the fashion world, positioning the Rossoneri as a direct competitor to PSG when it comes to their off pitch exploits. Simply imagine the potential; it would be like a perfect storm of football fashion crossover, taking the movement into unbelievable new territory. A dream move for the potential streetwear collaborations that we’d like to see happen in the future, and you can imagine the possibilities.
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