Indian Super League (ISL) club Mumbai City FC on Saturday denied speculation of a possible buyout by English Premier League champion Manchester City’s owners, terming it “conjecture.”
London tabloid Mirror reported on Friday that City Football Group, which owns Manchester City and six other clubs around the globe, is on the verge of buying the Mumbai team before the ISL season begins on October 20. It did not cite any sources.
“Manchester City owners are poised to finalise a deal to buy Indian Super League side Mumbai City ahead of their new season starting next month. The City Football Group have held talks with a number of Indian clubs as they seek to expand their global reach,” Mirror reported.
“Mumbai City are now their preferred choice and negotiations with the club’s CEO Indranil Das Blah are almost complete,” it added.
An official of Mumbai City FC, which is co-owned by Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor, said, “It is a conjecture.”
Blah refused to comment on the matter.
City Football Group, in addition of Manchester City, owns New York City FC, Melbourne City, Club Atletico Torque in Uruguay and Chinese side Sichuan Jiuniu, and holds stake in Spanish club Girona and Japanese side Yokohama F Marinos.
According to the Mirror report, Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano had confirmed in March that the group wanted to enter the Indian market this year.
Mumbai City starts its season away at Kerala Blasters on October 24.
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