A group of investors, including venture capitalist Henry Nguyen, is set to purchase MLS club Chivas USA, Sports Illustrated reported on Sept. 30.
Henry Nguyen.
Other investors are Mandalay Entertainment Chairman and CEO Peter Guber, former NBA executive and current ESPN analyst Tom Penn, and current Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan.
The MLS spokesperson declined to comment on the report, but other sources confirmed Guber’s involvement to the deal though he has concerned about the current collective bargaining negotiations.
Tan hinted his involvement by saying that “I’m looking to buy another club in Europe and then I may invest in a club in the US.”
Henry Nguyen will be the majority partner. He will move to Los Angeles to satisfy a key condition of the sale for MLS, namely that one member of the new ownership group has a Los Angeles connection.
In addition, Guber’s long involvement in the movie and entertainment industry gives the group another local owner. The other requirements are that the team remains in Los Angeles and that the new owners build a new stadium.
Chivas USA has an 11-year history taking part in MLS league. Star Erick Torres, who was loaned to Chivas USA from Guadalajara (Mexico), has scored 14 of Chivas USA’s 21 goals this year.
Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American who most recently got into the news by buying the first McDonald’s franchise in Vietnam.
Guber is a Hollywood producer who has an ownership stake in the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Penn is a former NBA executive, a somewhat renowned “cap-ologist” as well as a former ESPN analyst.
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