US eagles eye Premier League

Illinois car parts baron Shahid Khan will find plenty of familiar faces and accents when he visits English soccer stadiums this year after spending an estimated $300 million to buy Fulham.

With Khan’s arrival, US sports franchise owners now control six of the 20 clubs in the world’s richest soccer league, reflecting an explosion in interest in the game in the United States and a growing trend among owners to seek global networks.

Investors like the Glazer family at Manchester United, Arsenal’s Stan Kroenke and Boston Red Sox owner John W. Henry at Liverpool have been drawn by the Premier League’s ability to generate vast sums of tv cash and support from fans all over the world.