Guochuan Lai: former West Brom owner’s UK firm given strike off notice | OneFootball

A Companies House strike off notice has been issued to a UK firm linked to Guochuan Lai, the former West Brom owner. The development was highlighted in a post on X by football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

Lai sold his majority stake to Shilen Patel in February 2024 for £60m and has barely been heard from since. He had earlier bought the club from Jeremy Peace.

He originally took control via “Yunyi Guokai (Shanghai) Sports Development Limited”, in a deal worth around £150m. The company, owned by Lai, was until recently listed on Companies House as “Yunyi Guokai Limited” and lists a Solihull address.

Patel has faced a difficult turnaround but prudent moves have left Albion on a firmer financial footing. That comes despite a breach of PSR regulations this season and a two point deduction that left the club unhappy.

It was revealed last week that Albion were potentially heading for a £20m breach but for the work of Patel and his team. The picture moving into the summer is markedly different from the final days of Lai.

Lai’s tenure was marked by loans and financial problems, which drew protests before the sale. There remains little reliable public detail about his activities since.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com