Charlton in survival boost as Thomas Sandgaard – worth more than £350m – shows interest in buying stricken club
CASH-STRAPPED Charlton could be saved by mega-rich Dane Thomas Sandgaard. who has registered an interest in buying the club.
SunSport exclusively revealed how the Addicks face being booted out of the EFL unless current owners ESI sell the club.
But 62-year-old Sandgaard, who is worth more than £350million, has offered the League One side a glimmer of hope.
Speaking to South London Press, he revealed how he wants the opportunity to prove to owner Roland Duchatelet that he is “100 per cent serious” in buying the club.
He said: “I think Duchatelet and his advisors need to know I’m not just another random person with a long shot who tries to see if I can do something.
“I’m serious and I will make this happen.
“The goal is to make this happen before the club enters a phase of potentially administration.
“We don’t want penalties and other things against us.”
‘LET’S GET IT SORTED’
“We need to start building from day one. Let’s get it sorted out now before the season starts.
“I’ve done my research. I started talking to people in England towards the end of last season.
“I found that Charlton is, for me, probably the biggest potential of the clubs out there that need to be sold.
“They are London-based, which I prefer. The fanbase and history gives this club so much potential.
“My intention is to get hold of Duchatelet in Belgium and maybe these characters in England that have been involved and get a deal done as fast as possible.
“My ownership would provide the stability that the club needs.
“If we keep playing good football and win games then promotion will take care of itself.”
Sandgaard is the CEO of Zynex Inc, and made his fortune producing medical devices.
BEAUTIFUL VALLEY
He added: “Ideally I acquire everything.
“Maybe there is a mix but ideally we come up with a deal where everything is included.
“I went out to the stadium and it is beautiful. I was really surprised – but of course the club has history of also being in the Premier League.
“You’ve got to have a stadium of that standard.
“If in five or ten years we do really well we can increase some of the stands a little bit and get even more people in there.
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“I set up my business in a one-bedroom apartment. I’ve had good times but also setbacks where they said I had got to shut the business down.
“I’ve always found a way to work through it and make it a success. That experience I can bring to the table for Charlton.”
Charlton will play in League One next season after a heartbreaking relegation from the Championship on the final day of the 2019-20 season.