Evangelos Marinakis will complete his takeover of League Championship side Nottingham Forest after the club avoided relegation. Marinakis is replacing Fawaz Al-Hasawi as chair and the deal "will go ahead." The Greek shipping magnate agreed to a deal with partner Socrates Kominakis to end Al-Hasawi’s "turbulent five-year reign" and the Football League is "satisfied that he will pass the Owners And Directors Test" (London TELEGRAPH, 5/6).
EPL side Leicester City made an offer to buy Belgian second division side OH Leuven as the owners of the club "attempt to expand their influence in European football." Leicester vice-Chair Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has offered “a multiple of £2M ($2.6M)” to purchase Leuven, which was relegated from the Belgian top flight last season. That has "yet to be accepted" (London GUARDIAN, 5/5).
League One side Port Vale received a second offer from a local businessman "to buy the relegated club." IT supplier Manorship in Kidsgrove Owner Kevin Jones made a formal £1.25M ($1.6M) bid, "matching the offer" made by Burslem-based IT company Synectics Solutions. It follows Owner Norman Smurthwaite's decision to "stand down" as chair (BBC, 5/7).
