U.S. Investors Keep Buying Into European Soccer

American money continues to pour into European soccer, as Chicago-based investment firm Peak6 has taken a stake in the Premier League’s Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Peak6 bought an undisclosed minority stake in Fosun Sports, a newly created holding company that operates the team and its associated brands. Fosun Sports is a subsidiary of Fosun International, a Chinese company that bought the Wolves in 2016 for $62.1 million.

Peak6 will look to ​​”accelerate the club’s growth in North America by providing capital, expertise, visibility, and activation opportunities for Wolves and Wolves Esports across the USA,” the team said Tuesday.

U.S. investors have grown more interested in European soccer clubs, sometimes replacing Chinese investors.

• In May, Los Angeles-based Oaktree Capital bought a 31% stake in Inter Milan from Hong Kong-based LionRock Capital in a $336 million deal.
• Ares Management Corporation took on a 34% stake in La Liga’s Atletico in June.
• Earlier this year, New York-based investor Robert Platek and Miami’s 777 Partners bought Italian clubs Spezia and Genoa, respectively, becoming the sixth and seventh American Serie A owners.

Peak6 also owns esports organization Evil Geniuses and formerly held stakes in Serie A team AS Roma, EFL Championship club AFC Bournemouth, and the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.