The Lancashire-based billionaire brothers behind petrol station giant EG Group, and who recently took over Asda, have become the largest outside investors in Castore, the sportswear brand that has a partnership with Andy Murray and is set to relocate its headquarters from Liverpool to Manchester, according to reports.
Mohsin and Zuber Issa are understood to have first invested in the brand in March last year through their Jersey-based Monte Group, The Times reports.
Castore, which also has a kit deal with new Scottish Premiership champions Rangers, recently announced plans to move its headquarters from Liverpool to Manchester as well as open five new stores over the next six months.
The business has signed a 13-year lease with landlord Kinrise to occupy all available workspace – c.22,100sq ft - within One Central Street across five floors.
Founded in 2015 by brothers Thomas and Philip Beahon, Castore currently sells products in more than 50 countries worldwide.
The company's revenue is also expected to reach £100m this year.
Castore will relocate all staff from current headquarters in Liverpool to Manchester this year and expect to create a further 300 jobs in the city in the next two years.
The company currently has retail stores on the King's Road in London and within the Liverpool ONE scheme in the city centre.
The reports also come after the Issa brothers agreed to sell almost 30 petrol stations appease the Competitions and Markets Authority and avoid a full-blown investigation into the £6.8bn deal.
The brothers, along with their private equity backer TDR Capital, have offered to divest 27 EG Group petrol filling stations following concerns raised by the CMA in April.
The Issa brothers and TDR Capital announced the purchase the supermarket giant through jointly owned company Bellis in October 2020.
The brothers and private equity giant also own Blackburn-headquartered EG Group, which currently operates 395 petrol stations in the UK, while Asda owns 323.
The EG Group has been contacted for a comment.
