PREM STATE OF PLAY! - Who really owns your club? Every Premier League team's ownership structure explained

Premier League ownership is awash with private equity firms, multi-club groups and sovereign wealth funds. So, do you know who really controls your football club?

With the English top flight now the financial envy of all of European football, owning one of the 20 teams that call the league home can require serious financial backing.

Those who part with hundreds of millions are often unknown names to the general public. That is, unless they assume an executive role. Take Todd Boehly. Chelsea fans are now all too familiar with the American billionaire, who led the consortium that purchased the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022.

He stepped down as chairman last week after agreeing to sell his stake to co-owners Clearlake Capital. But what is this company and who are the people who make the calls? Mirror Football takes a look at the owners who actually run the show in the Premier League.

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Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) holds a 100 per cent stake in Arsenal. They are an American sports and entertainment empire founded by billionaire Stan Kroenke. He is worth an estimated £21billion.

KSE initially bought a minority stake in the Gunners in 2007 from ITV for £65million before launching a full buyout in 2018, when Kroenke purchased Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov's 30 per cent stake for £550m.

Whilst Stan is the ultimate financial authority, day-to-day oversight is handled by his son, Josh, who acts as the club's co-chair alongside his father.

V Sports purchased a 55 per cent stake in Aston Villa in July 2018 for £30m, but just over a year later, they assumed 100 per cent control, saving the club from bankruptcy by settling debts. Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris and American private equity investor Wes Edens jointly control the holding company.

Initially, Villa was purchased by NSWE, a company name both Sawiris and Edens created using their initials. But it rebranded to V Sports in 2021. Edens is the co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and Sawiris amassed his fortune through construction and chemicals.

Whilst both act as co-chairmen, Sawiris assumes day-to-day control and is the main driving force behind high-level decisions. They also own stakes in Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes and French team FC Annecy. US investment firm Atairos bought into V Sports in late 2023 and is a 31 per cent shareholder.

The Cherries are owned by Black Knight Football Club, a syndicate that acquired a 100 per cent stake in the club in December 2022 after previous owner Maxim Demin sold up for approximately £120m.

Bill Foley led the syndicate, which also features minority partners, including actor Michael B. Jordan and Cannae Holdings. Foley operates as the club's chairman. BKFC also maintains full ownership of French club FC Lorient - from which Bournemouth have signed players such as Dango Ouattara, now of Brentford, and Eli Junior Kroupi.

They also hold an interest in Moreirense FC of Portugal, Auckland FC of New Zealand and Hibernian of Scotland. Not to mention, as their name would suggest, they are the owners of the Vegas Golden Knights, a successful NHL ice hockey franchise.

Lifelong Bees fan and British businessman Matthew Benham holds over 90 per cent of Brentford's equity. He began investing in the club in 2007, paying £3m initially to take over the club's loans, and took full ownership in 2012, operating through holding company Best Intentions Analytics Limited (BIA).

The other 10 per cent comprises other investors and a consortium through BIA. Benham remains the majority shareholder, though, and possesses total voting authority.

British film director Matthew Vaughn, South African philanthropist Gary Lubner and Universal Music Group CEO Sir Lucian Grainge are among the stakeholders. Bees United, Brentford's supporters' trust, sold their equity stake in the club to Benham in 2012 but retains a Special Share, which guarantees fan representation on the board and grants veto power over major changes.

Tony Bloom has revolutionised Brighton & Hove Albion since taking over as primary owner and chairman in 2009. The British entrepreneur, who made his fortune primarily through sports gambling, has invested hundreds of millions into the club's infrastructure, overseeing their move to the Amex Stadium in 2011.

Bloom holds an approximate 96 per cent stake in the club and as the majority shareholder, retains complete strategic control. He is aided by CEO Paul Barber, who helps with analytical models. Bloom also holds shares in Belgian team Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and Hearts.

The other roughly seven per cent of Brighton and Hove Albion Holdings Limited (the club's parent company) is divided among the likes of Barber, former club president Dick Knight and other local investors and shareholders. Historically, the club raised capital through fan-led campaigns.

As mentioned, Boehly has left Chelsea after selling his entire ownership stake to Clearlake Capital. He served as the club's chairman from May 2022 to earlier this month, partnering with US private equity firm Clearlake to buy the Blues from Abramovich via the consortium and parent company BlueCo for £2.5bn.

Investors Mark Walter and Hansjorg Wyss were also part of the takeover, but Clearlake always held the majority stake at 61.5 per cent. Now, both Boehly and business partner Walter have left and sold up to Clearlake Capital for £950m.

Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano lead Clearlake and are now the near-exclusive controlling owners of BlueCo, which oversees other sporting assets, including the French club RC Strasbourg.

The west Londoners no immediate plans to appoint a new chairperson, with Clearlake leading the way as 87.1 per cent owners. Wyss retains 12.9 per cent. Eghbali and Feliciano are billionaire financiers who co-founded Clearlake, which manages over £138bn in assets.

Sky Blues fans are more than familiar with their owner, Doug King, the British businessman who completed a total takeover of Coventry City in 2023.

King holds a 100 per cent stake in the club through intermediate holding company CovCityCo Ltd. He is a hands-on executive chairman who made his money as CEO of Yelo Enterprises, a large-scale agricultural processing and refining company.

He is also the co-founder of the commodity investment firm RCMA Capital. King originally bought an 85 per cent stake from SISU Capital before buying out the remaining shares weeks later, clearing the club's debt. Coventry City Football Club Limited is the commercial entity that runs the club daily.

The Eagles' ownership structure saw them ousted from the Europa League last season and although things worked out well with them winning the Conference League, changes have been made.

Crystal Palace still operate under a multi-partner ownership model. Still, the largest investor is now Woody Johnson, co-owner of the NFL's New York Jets and heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical and healthcare fortune.

His stake stands at 43 per cent after he bought out John Textor's shares. It was Textor and his Eagle Football Holdings that caused the UEFA issue, as he was also the majority holder of French club Lyon at the time they qualified for the Europa League alongside Palace.

But Textor sold his significant stake to Johnson in June 2025 for £190m. American private equity investors Josh Harris and David Blitzer each hold a 10 per cent stake, whilst Steve Parish holds a 10 per cent stake. He serves as the active operating chairman. The other 27 per cent includes minority stakeholders and partners, like South African businessman Robert Franco.

The Friedkin Group owns 99.5 per cent of Everton through its subsidiary, Roundhouse Capital Holdings Limited, after buying out Farhad Moshiri's stake in December 2024. Approximately £68m was paid to Moshiri and over £250m of debt was cleared.

The American sports and entertainment investment group is headed by billionaire Dan Friedkin, who amassed his fortune through automotive distribution, luxury hospitality and entertainment.

Italian side AS Roma are also owned by the group and Dan is the Toffees' chairman. His son Ryan also helps oversee the club. The other small 0.5 per cent of Everton Club Company Ltd is spread out across roughly 1,500 to 2,000 small retail shareholders, fan investors and other figures.

For example, the estate of late Everton chairman Bill Kenwright holds around 1,750 shares. Local families and fans also bought single shares or small batches over the decades. Many are represented by the Everton Football Club Shareholders' Association.

Pakistani-American billionaire Shahid Khan is the 100 per cent owner of Fulham. He amassed his fortune through automotive components supplier Flex-N-Gate and also owns the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.

Khan purchased the Cottagers from long-time owner Mohamed Al-Fayed in 2013 for £150m. Whilst he supplies overall financial backing and ultimate control, his son Tony serves as vice chairman and director of football operations. K2TR Family Holdings 2, Corp is the ultimate parent company.

The Tigers' owner made a splash this summer by taking to social media to tease fans about players he would be signing. Turkish media mogul and entrepreneur Acun Ilicali does not shy away from the spotlight.

Through his firm Acun Medya, he acquired 100 per cent of Hull City in January 2022 from the Allam family for £30m, ending years of animosity. He is the chairman and sole shareholder.

Under his umbrella entity, he acquired a controlling stake in the Slovenian club NK Maribor in 2024 and is also a major shareholder of Fenerbahce, serving on the club's executive board and as vice president. He owns TV8 and TV8.5, a Turkish free-to-air TV channel. Hull's ownership is controlled through a corporate chain.

The Tractor Boys' ownership structure is rather complicated. The club is operated through Ipswich Town Football Club Company Ltd, which is 99 per cent owned by parent holding company Gamechanger 20 (GC 20). The other one per cent is held by legacy fan shareholders via Ipswich Town PLC.

Gamechanger 20 itself is controlled by multiple different shareholders, the majority being Portman Holdings LLC. This syndicate was created to reorganise internal shares and is controlled equally by three key investor groups, which own a combined 45 per cent of the club.

ORG Portfolio Management, led by Ed Schwartz, manages funds for another investor, the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System. They originally held a 90 per cent direct majority in 2021 before diluting their stake. Three Lions Fund, comprised of US-Turkish sports investors Brett Johnson, Berke Bakay and Mark Detmer, is also part of this group, as is Calara Vista Partners, led by Bob Gold.

Then, Bright Path Sports Partners, a US private equity firm that invested £105m into Gamechanger, owns 43 per cent of the club. They acquired their stake in March 2024. Aside from these two shareholders at 45 and 43 per cent, there are a series of other minority investors.

Singer Ed Sheeran owns 1.4 per cent of his beloved club and the remaining 10.6 per cent is residual direct equity, retained individually by Johnson, Bakay and Detmer, alongside former stakeholders. To clarify, then, GC20 owns 99 per cent of Ipswich Town. Portman Holdings owns 45 per cent of GC20, Bright Path Sports Partners owns 43 per cent of GC20, and the rest is split between other minorities.

Leeds United are entirely owned by 49ers Enterprises. This American investment group is directly linked to the NFL's San Francisco 49ers and initially acquired a minority stake in 2018, then completed a full buyout in 2023 for £170m.

It acquired Andrea Radrizzani's remaining 56 per cent stake. The syndicate is chaired by Paraag Marathe, who is the primary executive and holds voting control, along with Jed York.

Energy drink company Red Bull purchased a minority equity stake in 49ers Enterprises in May 2024. As part of the deal, they became the primary front-of-shirt sponsor, but their stake is non-controlling, so they have no say in football operations and no seat on the board.

The Reds are primarily owned by Fenway Sports Group, a conglomerate headed by principal owner John W. Henry. FSG acquired the club in 2010 and is a 58-62 per cent owner, paying around £300m.

Henry amassed his billions in finance and commodities trading. Tom Werner is the chairman of FSG and his wealth was built as a television producer in the US.

The conglomerate holds key partnerships with multiple investors. NBA legend LeBron James purchased a two per cent stake in the club in 2011, and he converted that into an equity holding in FSG in 2021. RedBird Capital Partners, another private equity firm led by Gerry Cardinale, bought an 11 per cent stake in FSG in 2021.

This summer, FSG sold a 38 per cent minority stake in Liverpool to 1892 Holdings, a consortium led by Amit Bhatia that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. The other three to four per cent is owned by Dynasty Equity.

City Football Group owns 100 per cent of Manchester City. This is a multi-club network in which Newton Investment and Development LLC, owned by UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, holds an 81 per cent controlling stake.

US private equity firm Silver Lake owns around 18 per cent, whilst China Media Capital holds the remaining one per cent. Ultimate financial and geopolitical control rests with Mansour, but operational leadership and day-to-day governance are exercised by Khaldoon Al Mubarak and Ferran Soriano.

Mansour is a member of the Al Nahyan ruling royal family of Abu Dhabi. His wealth stems from state oil and natural gas reserves and he purchased City in 2008 for approximately £210m from Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand.

City Football Group operates a vast global network. To name a few, they hold large stakes in New York City FC of the MLS, the A-League's Melbourne City FC, Italian side Palermo and Spanish team Girona.

The much-debated Glazer family, led by executive co-chairmen Joel and Avram Glazer, retains majority equity of Manchester United and holds around 71 per cent of shares. But United now operate under a split control structure between the Glazer family and British billionaire and entrepreneur Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder of INEOS.

In 2024, Ratcliffe bought a 27.7 per cent stake in the club for £1.25bn via his Trawlers Limited, a holding company incorporated on the Isle of Man. Ratcliffe soon upped this to 28.94 per cent via an additional £238m and shares were transferred to INEOS Services Limited, a subsidiary of the wider INEOS group.

United use a complex holding chain design, formed during the Glazer family's 2005 buyout. They completed the purchase for £790m. Manchester United plc, incorporated in the Cayman Islands, is the top-level parent equity and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

UK-based intermediate holding companies, primarily Red Football Holdings Limited and Red Football Limited, sit below. Manchester United Football Club Limited is the primary UK operational subsidiary that holds the stadium, player registrations and more.

The club's ownership is also split into two distinct share tiers. Class B shares, which count as 10 votes per share, are non-public shares that accrue voting power. These are owned by both the Glazer family trusts and Ratcliffe. Class A shares are traded on the NYSE and count as one vote per share.

Ratcliffe's multi-billion-pound personal fortune was built almost entirely through his 67 per cent personal ownership of INEOS. CEO Omar Berrada handles footballing operations, but Joel and Avram Glazer remain co-chairmen.

The Magpies are owned by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF). It holds an 85 per cent majority stake. The remaining 15 per cent is owned by the British-based Reuben family via RB Sports & Media, following the departure of former minority partner Amanda Staveley in July 2024.

Staveley's PCP Capital Partners had owned 10 per cent, but this was sold to the Reubens and the PIF. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the PIF, serves as club chairman.

The club operates under Newcastle United Football Club Limited, which sits under ultimate parent holding entities Newcastle United Limited and NCUK Investment Limited. The consortium purchased Newcastle United in October 2021 from Mike Ashley for £305m via St James Holdings Limited.

Nottingham Forest's owner needs no introduction. Greek shipping magnate and media tycoon Evangelos Marinakis acquired the club in May 2017 from Fawaz Al-Hasawi for £50m.

Marinakis owns Forest through an intermediate holding vehicle, NF Football Investments Limited. This parent holding company holds 100 per cent of the operational entity, Nottingham Forest Football Club Limited. Marinakis is the 80 per cent owner and Greek businessman Sokratis Kominakis owns 20 per cent.

Forest's primary owner amassed his wealth via his Capital Maritime & Trading Corp. He also acquired a controlling stake in Olympiacos FC in 2010 and expanded his empire in 2023 by purchasing Rio Ave FC.

French-Swiss businessman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus holds a majority 64 per cent stake in the Black Cats, who are owned by Sunderland Limited. This parent holding company controls 100 per cent of the operational club entity.

The Swiss-French heir to the Louis-Dreyfus Group commodities trading empire serves as chairman and majority owner. His father, Robert, was formerly the owner of Marseille and CEO of Adidas. Kyril secured an initial 41 per cent stake in 2022, and it has only increased since.

The other 36 per cent of Sunderland is owned by Uruguayan billionaire, politician, and founder of Union Capital Group, Juan Sartori. He serves as a non-executive director and bought into the club in 2018.

Spurs are operated by Tottenham Hotspur Limited, which is split into two groups of shareholders. Around 11.7 per cent of the shares are split among almost 30,000 individual supporters, left over from before the club was privatised. ENIC Sports & Developments Holdings Limited then owns the other 88.3 per cent stake.

They hold controlling voting power and equity in Spurs and paid an initial £22m in 2001 as part of a phased acquisition. Inside ENIC, the parent company is split into three distinct groups. The Lewis Family Trust is the largest owner with 72.6 per cent of ENIC. This is the discretionary trust of the Joe Lewis family and they hold the primary controlling vote.

London-born billionaire Lewis made his money through catering, trading and global investments. His family, including daughter Vivienne Lewis and son Charles Lewis, have stepped forward since he himself took a back seat in 2022, transferring his interest to the Lewis Family trust amid legal trouble regarding insider trading. He received a full presidential pardon from Donald Trump on November 13, 2025.