Lewes FC Women: Eni Aluko and US-based investment group Mercury 13 want to invest

  • Published
Lewes battle Durham in an FA Women's Championship matchImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Lewes became the first professional club to pay its men's and women's teams equally in 2017.

An investor group featuring ex-England player Eni Aluko is looking to invest in Women's Championship club Lewes.

Mercury 13 is promising $100m (£79.1m) of investment across women's football.

The proposal for Lewes would mean the club's women's team would be co-owned by Lewes Community Football Club and Mercury 13.

Lewes "represent many core principles of how we believe a women's club should be managed," said the group's leader Victoire Cogevina Reynal.

The East Sussex side finished ninth in the 12-club second tier last season and reached the quarter-finals of the Women's FA Cup, losing out to eventual runners-up Manchester United.

Lewes Community Football Club, which also owns the men's team, will remain 100% fan-owned.

BBC Sport understands co-owners were informed on Thursday of a consultation process with an external party on a potential investment proposal.

Mercury 13 says it plans to acquire football clubs in Europe and South America not connected to the men's game.

In a statement on Thursday, it also announced advanced negotiations to acquire top-tier clubs in Spain and Italy, with clubs in Argentina and Uruguay also on their radar.

Similar investment models have become increasingly common in men's football, but are new to the women's side of the game.

Joining former Aston Villa sporting director Aluko and sports entrepreneur Cogevina Reynal in its ranks is former Italy goalkeeper Arianna Criscione.

Ex-Fifa chief innovation officer Luis Vicente and Nancy Hensley, formerly chief of product and marketing at Stats Perform, are also involved.