The company selling the Newcastle Jets expects having another A-League club on the market will only help Canberra's bid to find an owner.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
KordaMentha have been tasked with finding a buyer for the Jets, who have been co-funded by three rivals - the Western Sydney Wanderers, Sydney FC and Western United - since 2021.
On face value it would seem like extra competition for Canberra to find an owner, with Auckland having already landed USA billionaire William Foley.
Especially with the Jets putting a Christmas deadline on the sale - which was around when the A-Leagues wanted to have a Canberra owner finalised.
A-Leagues commissioner Nick Garcia told The Canberra Times he hoped to have a Canberra owner in place early in December to give the club time to prepare for the transfer window opening in January.
But KordaMentha lead partner Scott Langdon felt having the Jets on the market would help generate interest in the A-League and actually benefit the Canberra bid as well.
KordaMentha have just found new owners for Perth Glory - Melbourne property moguls Robert Brij and John Nekic - who had gone into administration in July.
Langdon said they'd already received plenty of interest for Newcastle, even though they only put it on the market on Monday morning.
"I don't think there'll be any negativity, if anything it'll only enhance the prospects of Canberra getting a licence," he told The Canberra Times.
"You look at the Perth licence last week, there's an Auckland licence that's also been announced and we're running a sales process in terms of the Newcastle Jets.
"We announced it [Monday] and the level of inbound inquiry has been significant from good-profile companies who have the financial capabilities and motivation to complete.
"We've had interest from people with local ties to the Newcastle community to Australians to the global stage so I don't think there is any shortage in buyers for the franchises."
While the A-Leagues declined to comment on how the Jets sale might impact Canberra, it's believed the capital's search for an owner was progressing well.
Langdon felt the Matildas' stunning World Cup run in Australia earlier in the year was still generating plenty of interest and excitement in soccer.
MORE CANBERRA SPORT
"I think [the A-League is] on a really positive trajectory. I think that's the rationale," Langdon said.
"The momentum behind the Matildas in 2023 - that's what we're all going to remember 2023 for, is the wave of energy and support for the Matildas - and I think there's just a strong trend towards soccer in Australia.
"Their participation numbers stand up on their own two feet - it's the highest football code played by Australians under 35 and that's seriously impressive and a good trend."
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.