Investment opportunity in football talent of future

A new investment fund, believed to be the first in the region, will enable interested parties to invest and acquire the economic rights of talented, young footballers from all over the world.
The fund’s investment manager, E3 Partners, is hosting a gathering with potential investors in Dubai on June 10 in collaboration with French deal facilitation group naseba.
E3 Partners has a team of international experts with more than 30 years’ experience in arranging footballers’ transfers and contracts.
Using the expertise of Investment Advisers Claudio Vigorelli and Charlie Driver, the fund’s main objectives are to scout gifted, young players from South America, Africa and Eastern Europe and sell them to the biggest clubs in Europe.
The fund will seek to acquire the economic rights of players valued between $1 30,000 and $ 2.5 million who have the potential for high value transfer fees in the future, with the aim of achieving investment returns through the sale of these players.
Players targeted will be over the age of 16 in the EU and over 18 outside the EU in accordance with FIFA regulations.
Part of their long term strategy is to eventually scout and arrange transfers for players to and from the Gulf region.
E3 Partners already has strategic alliances with twice Champions League winners Benfica (Portugal) and Switzerland’s Grasshopper Club Zürich, who have won more than 45 domestic trophies. In the past three years, Benfica has sold David Luiz to Chelsea; Fabio Coentrao and Angel di Maria to Real Madrid; and Javi García to Manchester City; for a combined total of more than $ 151 million.
The Swiss club may not boast the same superstar names, but their transfer policy focuses on getting maximum value.
According to figures, three recent transfers to Bundesliga clubs VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach, and to French club FC Lorient, netted 442 percent, 1,666 percent and 3,200 percent profit.
The Middle East has an insatiable appetite for investing in Europe’s top clubs.
Last season’s English Premier League champions Manchester City, twice European Cup winners Nottingham Forest and David Beckham’s club Paris St. Germain are all owned by GCC investors, meaning Dubai is the perfect location for the fund, which will also be registered in the emirate.
The E3 Partners’ team has a strong track record.
They were responsible for the transfer of Samuel Eto’o from Inter Milan to Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala for more than $ 38 million in 2011, and more recently orchestrated lucrative moves for a pair of 22 year old Italian internationals: Davide Santon to English Premier League club Newcastle United; and Mattia Destro to AS Roma of Serie A, for whom Italian clubs have already spent over $ 31 million to buy and rent his economic rights.