Consortium that failed with Burnley takeover now in talks with Championship club

The group, led by Egyptian businessman Mohamed El Kashashy and solicitor Chris Farnell, pulled out of talks to buy the Clarets in December 2020.

The duo had previously spent 14 months negotiating with former Burnley chairman Mike Garlick over a rumoured £200m deal.

However, talks broke down and Alan Pace and ALK Capital eventually completed a takeover.

That was the second of Farnell’s failed takeovers, having previously been unsuccessful in buying League One outfit Charlton Athletic.

On that occasion, Farnell – a solicitor that owns a Manchester-based legal practice – was briefly disqualified from being a football club director by the EFL, before successfully appealing against the ban.

El Kashashy, 44, is the director of a financial services company and two London-based property businesses. Together with Farnell, he co-owns Staunch Partners Ltd, which is registered at a business address in Cheshire along with the latter’s law firm.

Farnell previously represented world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury and Cristiano Ronaldo during the latter’s first stint at Manchester United.

The 53-year-old was briefly a director at Wigan Athletic, acted for former Leeds owner Massimo Cellino and was brought in by Bury in a last, unsuccessful attempt to save the club before they were expelled from the EFL in 2019.

According to The Athletic, Farnell and El Kashashy are now in advanced talks with West Brom.

It’s claimed they will initially look to buy a minority stake in the Championship club, but this could later become a full buyout of controlling shareholder Guochuan Lai.

There is currently concern among fans about the club’s financial health following their failure to win promotion back to the Premier League last season.

In January, the Baggies took out a £20m loan, secured against the club’s assets including The Hawthorns, to help with day-to-day running costs.

Fans set up a supporters’ group called Action for Albion last year due to the mounting fears over the club’s finances.

Carlos Corberna’s side finished in ninth place in the Championship last season, three points adrift of the play-offs.