Football
Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent 9y

Report: Henry Nguyen leads group set to buy Chivas USA

The investment group set to buy troubled MLS club Chivas USA has emerged, according to a published report.

- Sources: Chivas USA to suspend operations

Sports Illustrated reported on Tuesday that the investment group is comprised of venture capitalist Henry Nguyen, Mandalay Entertainment Chairman and CEO Peter Guber, former NBA executive and current ESPN analyst Tom Penn, and current Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan.

Reached via email, an MLS spokesperson declined to comment on the report.

Sources confirmed Guber's involvement to ESPNFC.com, though one source said he still has concerns about the current collective bargaining negotiations taking place between MLS and the MLS Players Union, as well as the group's ability to get a stadium built.

Tan hinted his involvement on Monday, as he was quoted by the BBC as saying, "I'm looking to buy another club in Europe and then I may invest in a club in the U.S., [in] MLS."

The SI.com report added that Nguyen will be the majority partner, and that he will move to Los Angeles, thus satisfying a key condition of the sale for MLS, namely that one member of the new ownership group has a Los Angeles connection. 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 L.A. and that the new owners build a stadium in the area.

Chivas USA has been owned by MLS ever since the league purchased the club from original owners Jorge Vergara and Angelica Fuentes back in February. Since that time the league has been actively shopping the club and has stated that they expected to complete the sale by the end of the year.

Sources told ESPNFC.com on Monday that the new owners intend to shut the club down for a minimum of two years, the better to allow time to find a stadium solution as well as rename and rebrand the team.

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