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Chicago Bears investors buy minority stake in Premier League side Bournemouth and link up with USMNT captain Tyler Adams

Ryan Sports Group have taken a minority stake in Bill Foley’s Black Knight Football Club which owns Bournemouth.

Chicago Bears investors take Bournemouth stake
Join Bill Foley's ownership group
Club signed Tyler Adams in summer

WHAT HAPPENED? The Ryan family have become the latest high-profile investors in Bournemouth after taking a minority share in the club's ownership group the Black Knight Football Club. The group is led by managing director Bill Foley and also includes other investors as well as Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan. Foley says the addition of the Chicago billionaires will help the club take another step forward.

WHAT THEY SAID: "Pat (Ryan) is a visionary and cornerstone within the insurance industry and, having worked with the team he has built at Ryan Sports Ventures, they will look to have a similar lasting impact in the sports world,” Bill Foley said as reported by The Athletic. "We feel confident about the team we have built behind AFC Bournemouth and FC Lorient and are excited about our multi-club model’s immediate and long-term future. Adding the Ryan family and Ryan Sports Ventures further accelerates how far we believe we can take our football business.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Rob Ryan, Ryan Sports Ventures’ managing partner, is excited by the "enormous growth trajectory" of football in North America and highlighted how the arrival of USMNT captain Tyler Adams at Bournemouth can help increase the club's exposure in the United States.

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"Whether it’s sponsorship or the fan experience, and talk about maybe expanding the stadium, and then on the soccer football side, we feel equally strong that these are people that know what they’re doing,” Ryan explained. "Having a young American star like Tyler Adams, we hope that that will lead to more exposure for Bournemouth in the U.S. with fans of the game here."

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