07/09/2013 00:00
TW
0
By Humphrey Carter

PALMA

IF the Russians are coming, they had better hurry up because Real Mallorca chairman Vicente Grande and British millionaire businessman Paul Davidson yesterday agreed on a price, said to be in the region of between 38 and 40 million euros, for which Grande will allow his 93 percent stake in the club to be sold to Davidson.

Lawyers for both parties spent nearly two hours locked in talks yesterday morning before Grande and Davidson briefly appeared and spoke to the press at the ONO Stadium. Grande said that negotiations over his controlling share of the club have significantly advanced and that there are only a few minor details to go over.

Now that a figure has been agreed on, Paul Davidson has appointed a local lawyer to draw up the final legal draft which will be presented to the administrators handling Grande's business insolvency for approval next week and Grande, whose construction and development company has 800 million euros worth of debt, said that he sees no reason why the final offer will not be accepted. “It's a very complicated process,” said Grande. “These things take time.” But, now, the future of Real Mallorca and Paul Davidson's' offer now lies in the hands of the judiciary and the creditors.
The British engineer and inventor knows that over the next few days the offer could be trumped but once the final draft is drawn up and stamped, there will be no going back by either party. Flanked by a smiling Vicente Grande, Davidson said “negotiations have been completed and it is now in the hands of the lawyers and we await their permission to buy the club. “I've neither seen nor heard of any other offers... that's Grande's business and he's a very honourable man. “Now that is has been agreed, we intend to present our final offer next week.” Grande said that the deal is likely to be completely closed next week and once it is, Paul Davidson will become Real Mallorca's first foreign owner in the club's 96-year history.

He will also become only the second foreigner to have owned a Primera Liga club. Davidson wants to maintain Vicente Grande as a professional chairman to take care of the football side of the club but he will take care of the business department with experts from the world of international business and football, such as the former Everton Chief Executive and close friend, Keith Wyness, available for advice on commercial and marketing issues.