Wigan Athletic takeover by Hong Kong casino giants moves step closer after Whelan family agree to sell: reports
Latics would join Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion as Chinese-owned Championship clubs if deal is approved by Football League
The takeover of English League One champions Wigan by a Hong Kong consortium has moved a step closer after the club’s owners the Whelan family agreed to sell in principle, according to reports in the British media.
The agreement to sell their majority stake to International Entertainment Corporation is now subject to approval from the English Football League and the Hong Kong stock exchange.
IEC is owned by the Cheng family’s Chow Tai Fook holdings and has been described as their “casino arm”.
It owns a “deluxe casino hotel” in the Philippines, the AG New World Manila Bay Hotel.
Reports suggest the deal will include a majority stake in both the club’s 25,000-seater DW Stadium, which they share with rugby league side Wigan Warriors, and their training ground, which they bought from rivals Bolton Wanderers in 2016.
The Latics were promoted to the Championship, English football’s second tier, last weekend.
The club have just announced that manager Paul Cook has signed a new four-year deal with the League One champions.