It looks like Southampton will be the latest club to be taken over by the investors from China; the country where football is being revolutionised.
Although nothing is set in stone, the corporation Lander Holdings are optimistic of completing a lucrative deal for the club, with a crucial meeting with Saints owner Katharina Liebherr taking place today.
Deal back from the dead
After whispers of a Chinese takeover at St Mary's began to gain momentum as early as November of last year, the prospect of the purchase seemed to have ground emphatically to a halt last week, when Chinese company Lander sports announced the end of their interest.
However, Lander Holdings, the parent company of their sports namesake, picked up the baton, and a possible deal is back on. Headed by billionaire Gao Jisheng, they are hopeful of securing an 80% stake in Southampton Football Club, worth £210 million.
However, the Premier League's 'fit and proper person test' stands in the way of Jisheng, as he must prove that he has not been involved in any sort of wrongdoing before he can become the majority shareholder of the club.
Nevertheless, if both this examination and the meetings with Liebherr run smoothly, then the deal will be close to complete.
End of an era
A potential takeover would mark the beginning of the end of the Liebherr family's association with the club. Katharina's father Markus saved Southampton from liquidation when he bought it in 2009, before his daughter inherited his position following his death just a year later. Since then, the Saints have gone from League 1 no-hopers to one of the most respected teams in the top flight, and have never been a stronger position financially.
However, should Lander purchase the club as they intend to do, Liebherr would own just a 20% stake in the club. Once she oversees a smooth transition following the deal, her remaining portion will be sold to Lander.
Considering Katharina Liebherr and her family are pretty much the only reason why Southampton exists as a club at all, her departure would be immensely poignant after an unforgettable journey back from the brink.
The new football order?
There hasn't been a country that has had the sudden impact that China has had on football in the last couple of years than in the history of the game. Their domestic league is well-known for attracting some of Europe's biggest names to the Far East, with cheques containing a quite ridiculous number of zeroes.
With stars including Carlos Tevez, Oscar and ex-Southampton man Graziano Pelle all heading for the world's most populous country, China have well and truly challenged the natural order of European football dominance.
Now, they are cranking things up a notch, as they are quietly taking over many of the top clubs in England and on the continent. Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion both recently were bought by Chinese businessmen, as well as European giant AC Milan. With the takeovers showing no sign of letting up, it looks as if Southampton are the next in a long list of clubs to receive investment.
However despite popular belief, a foreign (and in particular a Chinese) takeover would not spell instant doom for the Saints. With the game becoming more about wealth by the season, the Lander Holdings deal could be just what Southampton need to take them to the next level.
Liebherr has been quick to emphasise this, stating that with an "increasingly competitive" Premier League, "we need to keep moving forward and look to new markets for commercial growth". With Liebherr's personal worth around a quarter of that of Jisheng, perhaps she has taken Southampton as far as she can.