Red Bull planning to buy English club to add to portfolio of football teams around the globe

• Red Bull's football guru Ralf Rangnick was in London recently
• The RB Leipzig director of sport watched Chelsea, Charlton and Brentford
• Those clubs are not for sale but there are other opportunities for Red Bull
• The energy drink giants want to add an English club to their portfolio 

Energy drink giants Red Bull are planning to add to their portfolio of football teams around the world by buying an English club.

Red Bull, one of the biggest global sponsors of sport, have stated that England is the next football territory on their radar during recent talks with clubs about players.

And the speculation has intensified with Red Bull's football guru Ralf Rangnick, director of sport at RB Leipzig, coming over to watch three games last weekend at Chelsea, Charlton and Brentford. 

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Although none of those clubs are currently for sale, many others in the Premier League and Championship would welcome a Red Bull takeover with open arms.

Charlton sources say Rangnick's visit was to watch their rated winger Ademola Lookman, an England Under 19 international. 

And RB Leipzig claim 58-year German coach Rangnick, who has been linked with the England manager's job, would be on club rather than Red Bull business in London. 

Leipzig, making their debut in the Bundesliga this season, lie second in the table on goal difference behind Bayern Munich.

As well as RB Leipzig, Red Bull own football clubs in New York, Ghana, Brazil and Austria and also own two F1 teams, multi-champions Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso.

 

England interim manager Gareth Southgate said he 'didn't expect it to come out like it did,' after he told football journalism students at the University of Derby that he still wasn't sure he would accept the permanent national team post if offered. 

It would have been more unexpected if the wannabe football hacks had kept such a topical news-line to themselves as Southgate somehow believed they would.

 

The Court of Appeal supported agent Tony McGill's claim for damages after he was cut out of the £1m transfer of Gavin McCann from Aston Villa to Bolton in 2007 — but the case has also exposed England assistant manager Sammy Lee for 'tapping up' the player.

Then Bolton manager Lee's evidence — described by the judge as 'unreliable' — stated how he asked unlicensed agent Dave Sheron to approach McCann, without Villa's knowledge.

Although this was a decade ago, it is still a blatant breach of FA regulations forbidding players to be 'tapped up' before their club is contacted. 

The FA say it is inappropriate to comment until the case is completed. The judge still has to rule on McGill's damages award.

 

It is claimed Sky Sports News reporter Andy Burton is effectively acting as a player recruitment consultant for Premier League club Bournemouth with all the potential conflicts that entails with his day job. 

Burton, a friend of manager Eddie Howe and head of recruitment Richard Hughes, has been spotted in the directors' box at home and away Bournemouth games. 

A club spokesman said: 'Andy is not employed by Bournemouth, however in football you gather as much knowledge as possible from a wide range of sources and Andy is one of a number of trusted people whose opinion is valued by the club.' 

Sky claim Burton reports on London clubs so is not conflicted by any Bournemouth involvement.

 

Bates holds hotel key

Chelsea have begun the process — through a specialist agency — of buying out, for a premium price, the owners of apartments in the hotel complex at Stamford Bridge that will be demolished for the football-only new stadium.

Oh to be a fly on the wall when negotiations begin with a certain Kenneth William Bates in the penthouse. 

Despite Chelsea and former chairman Bates being on good terms, getting old grey beard to vacate the premises over the next year or so is not going to be easy... or cheap.

 

William Hill's reported sponsorship of ITV's racing coverage has made a mockery of the British Horseracing Authority's edict that only their Authorised Betting Partners — which don't include Ladbrokes, William Hill or Coral — can sponsor races. 

However, the BHA are relaxed about the mooted TV deal because they expect a new all-encompassing betting levy to be in place next April that will see the end of their ABP initiative.