Amid understandable concerns over the impact their approach may have on ticket prices, stadium naming-rights deals and the possible scrapping of promotion and relegation, do US owners deserve more credit?
Since taking over Liverpool in 2010, Fenway Sports Group’s investment in players and infrastructure, financial management and approach to recruitment has helped restore the club to their former status.
In 2022 Leeds’ American chairman Paraag Marathe – the president of the club’s owners 49ers Enterprises – insisted fears over American investors were unfounded, telling BBC Sport that because English football is “special, unique and rare”, club owners needed to “protect it”. “If it isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it,” he said.
Some have also suggested that English football could learn from the salary caps, pre-season drafts and stronger player union representation that have helped to make US leagues more competitive, unpredictable and sustainable.
Asked whether she was concerned by the number of US-run clubs in the Premier League, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told BBC Sport: “My experience of dealing with Premier League owners is that they do have different views. They can be very robust about coming forward with those views, but they also work together in the interest of football as a whole.
“So I’m relaxed about the fact we’ve got owners from all around the world. It shows that the Premier League really is a crown jewel in terms of what we’re able to export to the world and lead the world in football.
“What I want to ensure is that the Premier League is built on those firm foundations so clubs all the way through from the grass roots to the Premier League can continue to thrive.”