Speaking at the International Football Arena Asia in Beijing, Chang said: “The English Premier League is the best-managed and most powerful of all football leagues in the world today.

“It is the group’s intention to purchase a stake in the very near future.”

Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa are already in US hands while another American, Stan Kroenke, has invested heavily in Arsenal.

Meanwhile, Dennis Mumble, director of competitions of the 2010 World organising committee, told the conference the tournament in South Africa was right on course.

He said: “Not only will the South African World Cup be on time and target in every respect, but it has already generated more income by way of signed commitments than the preceding FIFA World Cup in Germany in 2006.

“There is no question that South Africa can and shall present a World Cup which will surpass many others in terms of excitement and broad participation by the South African public and fans from all over Africa.”

The first IFA Asia symposium was endorsed by the Asian Football Confederation, and among the issues tackled was the controversy surrounding exhibition tournaments by top European clubs in Asia and new opportunities for sports sponsorships and the sale of television broadcasting rights in a region inhabited by more than half of the world’s population.