Blackstone has strengthened its links to Premier League football as senior executive Prakash Melwani joined the investor group backing Brentford FC, according to Bloomberg.

Melwani, a Senior Managing Director at Blackstone and chairman of its international private equity business, has taken a minority stake in the West London club. He joins Lucian Grainge, chief executive of Universal Music Group, as a new minority investor.

Both investors will sit on the board of Best Intentions Analytics, the holding company for Brentford FC and Spanish side Merida AD.

Majority control remains with Matthew Benham, who has owned the club since 2012.

Existing minority investors Gary Lubner and filmmaker Matthew Vaughn have also increased their shareholdings.

The move highlights continued private capital interest in European football assets. Brentford relocated to the 17,000-capacity GTech Community Stadium in 2020 and has been linked to stake sale discussions since 2023.

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