According to ESPN, an investor consortium lead by former Nike executive Melanie Strong is preparing to make a formal offer to Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson for a controlling stake in the NWSL team valued at $60 million.
The two parties have met for the past two months, and the offer is scheduled to be filed within the next week.
According to a source, Strong’s organization is certain that obtaining adequate financing will not be a problem. The all-woman investing group has around 30 persons, with a core group of six investors.
Strong’s organization is also partnering with a fan-driven investment group lead by local tech entrepreneur Chris Bright, and there is “zero interest” in transferring the team out of Portland, according to sources.
Since charges of sexual harassment and coercion were made against former Thorns manager Paul Riley, who was sacked for cause in 2015, Merritt Paulson has been under pressure to sell both the Thorns and the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer.
We will update this article as more information surfaces.
