But the bubbles had barely settled in their glasses when questions began to emerge about the three-year tie-up with the hitherto unknown Chinese company, with one analyst warning that the deal was raising 'red flags'. Southampton called LD Sports "a brand-new sports content, marketing and entertainment platform". It makes no mention of the Southampton deal and Knox - rather like the company - has scant online presence in English or Chinese. In April, the Financial Times said that the Premier League was probing whether "the Chinese state has gained a significant stake in Southampton football club". "Typically when it comes to Chinese investment you've got to pay attention to the red flags," said Dreyer.

Source: Daily Nation May 16, 2019 08:15 UTC