How much of an effect has the introduction of foreign investment had on football clubs in the English Premier League?

 Proposed Senior Project Title:How much of an effect has the introduction of foreign investment had on football clubs in the English Premier League?

1. What objectives do you wish to achieve through the completion of the Senior Project? (if possible, please provide a list)

Through the completion of the Senior Project, I hope that I will be able to develop a better understanding on how much of an impact foreign investment has made on the certain clubs in the Premier League and on the league itself, and if the effects have been positive or negative. I would also like to discover how much foreign investment has influenced the rapid growth in both players salaries and transfer fees over a short period of time and if the current Covid 19 pandemic has had any effect on them.

2. What work is proposed to achieve the objectives stated above? (Define the work you have specifically in mind: will you need to develop a literature review? if your work is empirically based will developing a section on methodology be required?)

Many teams in the Premier League have been taken over by foreign investors over the years. For my project I will concentrate on certain clubs in the league and I will analyse the effect their investors have had on their clubs and then the league as a whole. I will examine how the investments from these foreign owners have led to the increase of both the players salaries and the transfer fees of players over time and how much influence the pandemic has had on these factors. I will also explore what motivates these investors to purchase a football club in the Premier League and if it has been beneficial for them in the long run. Ratio analysis will be used as a tool to evaluate the financial condition of these clubs in order to gain insight on their operational efficiency. Finally I would investigate if there is any possible indication that foreign investment in the league has had an impact on the economy in England. 

3. Describe any primary and/or secondary resources you intend to make use of in your research. (Will you be able to access these easily?)

I plan to use research from online resources to gain knowledge on the foreign owners of the football clubs in the Premier League I have chosen to investigate, their motives for purchasing those clubs, and the clubs progression since the acquisition. I will also use these resources to attain statistics involving the progression of transfer fees and player salaries in the league. Additionally I will obtain the selected clubs official financial statements and reports such as; ‘Deloitte’s annual review of football finance’, to discover each clubs growth and success since being taken over by foreign investors and how lucrative it has been for their owners. I also intend to find evidence on economic growth in England triggered by the investments of these foreign owners. I will hopefully also be able to find academic resources associated to my topic through University resources.