Discussions surrounding a potential takeover of Tottenham Hotspur have been ongoing since the start of the season, with Chairman Daniel Levy confirming that the club is an attractive option for investors. This is in response to the club’s strong start to the campaign under new manager Ange postecoglou.

Since the start of the year, Tottenham have been the focus of speculation following reports of a meeting between Chairman Levy and Nasser Al-Germain President, who is the chairman of Qatar Sports Investments, the owners of PSG. The French club has made a name for themselves in recent years through their transfer policy, which has led to the acquisitions of Lionel Messi, Yoenis and Kyliano Mbappe.

A US-Iranian billionaire group, MSP Sports Capital, has been linked with a potential takeover of Spurs, while there has been speculation that the renowned rapper Jay-Z may be interested in making a bid. Additionally, it has been reported that the Qatari entrepreneur, Sheikh Jassim, who is looking to purchase Manchester United, could consider a move for Tottenham if he is not successful in his seemingly endless pursuit of the club. Currently, Levy, who is the most visible member of ENIC’s ownership group, holds approximately 30 per cent of the club’s 86.58 percent controlling share alongside his family. With Levy being increasingly forthcoming about the future of the club, here is the latest on any potential investment or sale of the club, with previous connections to Formula One owners Liberty Media.

Sheikh Jassim decision

Despite rumors of a bid to acquire Tottenham, Sheikh Jassim won’t look to purchase another soccer team, according to reporter Ben Jacobs. Following their unsuccessful attempt to acquire Manchester United, the Qatar-based Nine Two Foundation has been linked to making an offer for Spurs, although that now looks improbable.

Man United decision made

The Glazers turned down Sheikh Jassim of Qatar’s latest attempt to fully take control of Manchester United. Because of this, his group has decided to withdraw from the battle for ownership of the Red Devils, leaving INEOS owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe as the only major contender left.

As a result, Jassim might start to focus on the Spurs as a result of an enormous prediction made by ESPN journalist Mark Ogden. He stated, “Someone told me recently, they said that if the Qataris don’t buy Manchester United, they’ll be back and they might end up buying Tottenham,” while standing on the United Stand.

Offer confirmed

Levy has acknowledged that Tottenham had previously rejected bids for the organization. When queried by Bloomberg, he began, “Over the years, many people have made offers, but there’s never been an offer that’s been…” but was interrupted. He was then questioned about the origin of the offers.

“All parts of the world, the far East, the Middle East, America. Nothing has been put on our table that we feel has been of the interest to the shareholders.”

The English merchant continued, explaining why nothing had happened:  “Lots of reasons. For us as a board we are only custodians of this club. We want to take it to another level. We’ve shown progression over the last 20 years, we’ve made a big investment in our capital projects, in our team and if someone came along and we felt they could take us to another level we’d look at it.”

“If we get the right naming rights partner — and when I say that, I mean somebody who pays the right money in the right sector — then we are willing to consider doing it,” said Levy. “But we’re not as tied to doing it now as perhaps we would’ve been when we first looked at building the stadium.”

Levy admission

“We have 30,000 shareholders who own approximately 13.5 per cent. We run this club as if it is a public company. If anyone wants to make a serious proposition to the board of Tottenham we would consider it, along with our advisers, and if we felt it was in the interests of the club we would be open to anything.”

MSP impact

After a previous agreement with MSP Sports Capital fell through, sources indicate that an American investment firm called 777 Partners is currently engaged in advanced negotiations to acquire Everton.

Farhad Moshiri, the owner of Everton, is reportedly close to completing the sale of the club, according to Bloomberg. MSP, a New York-based investment firm, were close to agreeing to provide £150million of external funding to the Toffees, with an additional £100million to be allocated to the new stadium and the club’s other areas. However, according to the Liverpool ECHO, the plans were abandoned due to objections from the club’s existing lender, Media Funding Limited, to certain aspects of the deal, although the loan agreement is still in place.

Following the conclusion of the MSP deal, negotiations with 777 Partners were resumed. MSP have been expanding their football empire since 2015, having already acquired Standard Liege and Red Star FC, as well as Genoa and Melbourne Victory.

It was reported earlier this year that MSP were prepared to make an offer to Tottenham to finance 70% of a massive bid for the club, with the club’s owners expected to make a bid.

Sheikh Jassim interest

Sheikh Jassim, reported to have had five offers for Manchester United so far, has failed in his attempt to take control of the club.

It has been suggested that United are not for sale due to a lack of commitment, leading to a sale collapse.

However, it has been suggested that the Glazer family will look to sell the club again in 2025, when ‘environmental factors’ could lead to a bigger market.

This does open the door for potential owners to turn their attention back to Spurs.

Mark Ogden, an ESPN journalist, has suggested that Jassim and members of his entourage have identified Spurs as a “potential option”.

Ogden added: “Someone told me recently if the Qataris do not buy Man United, then they may end up buying Tottenham.”

He went on to say that if you have three clubs in the Premier League – Manchester City, which is owned by Abu Dhabi and Newcastle, which are owned by Saudi Arabia – then you have three clubs that can pull away.

Transfer impact

Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer plans will not be affected by Manchester United’s takeover, according to a report in the Express.

Tottenham and United are set to battle it out in the race for Evan Ferguson, a Brighton striker valued at a reported £115million.

Ferguson has just signed a new three-year contract at the club, but he is already being tracked by some of England’s biggest clubs as Spurs search for a replacement for Harry Kane.

Spurs, who spent heavily in the summer to bring in James Maddison and Bryan Robson, will have no advantage over United in the race for Ferguson.

United, meanwhile, have gone all out to bring in Mason Mount and Andre Onana, as well as Ramiro Huelund, seemingly unaffected by the ongoing Glazer family drama.

The club has been through a long and drawn-out negotiation for a sale, with talks between the Glazers and Sir JimRatcliffe dragging on.

It looks like Spurs will not be able to take advantage of this situation.

Not for sale

Tottenham are in no position to sell at this stage, according to football finance expert.

“I wouldn’t put my finger on it, Spurs aren’t up for sale yet, but in football finance terms, it’s a never-say-die scenario,” Maguire told Football Insider.

Maguire’s comments come after EnIC Group owner, Joe Lewis, whose family trust holds a majority stake in the club, was charged with ‘brazen’ insider trading schemes in the US.

In July 2023, Lewis denied 19 charges of insider dealing and conspiracy, and is expected to appear in court again next year.

The majority shareholding in ENIC passed to Lewis’ family trust last year, with Lewis himself not taking part in the deal.

Spurs have said that the charges are ‘unrelated’ to the club.

Jay-Z ‘preparing bid’ for Spurs

It has been reported that US rapper Jay-Z is believed to be in talks to make a bid for Tottenham Hotspur Limited, according to the Express. The rapper, who is well-known for his hits ‘H to The Izzo’ and “99 Problems’, is believed to have the backing of US investors.

With a net worth of approximately £2billion, Jay-Z has a history of investing in sports, having previously held a stake in the Brooklyn Nets NBA team and having Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford as part of his Roc Nation empire.

It is reported that the rapper and his team are awaiting the verdict of Joe Lewis, who has denied the allegations of insider trading made against him in court. Lewis is the controlling shareholder of ENIC, which owns Spurs, but, as Companies House documents revealed in October last year, is no longer a person with significant control over the club.

Levy contact

Since QSI’s interest in purchasing Spurs first surfaced, Levy and Al-Khelaifi are rumored to have developed a close friendship. Contact is also alleged to have been maintained during Harry Kane’s ties to PSG. Spurs might soon see PSG get a sizeable cash sum with the sale of their top asset, which was sparked by speculation of a prospective deal to transfer Kylian Mbappe to north London, which has been swiftly rejected.

According to L’Equipe, Levy and Al-Khelaifi have “regular exchanges,” and a takeover might occur if PSG is sold. The Telegraph claims that Spurs have a £3.5 billion price tag after making an approach to the club in September 2021.

F1 owner hint

Liberty Media, owners of Formula One, CEO Greg Maffei has suggested that his next sports venture may be in the English Premier League.

Liberty Media, an American mass media company, also owns MLB team Atlanta Braves.

Maffei said on the Walker Webcast: “You mentioned the Premier League; there is no asset we haven’t considered. That doesn’t mean we’re ready to buy all of them, but we’re looking at them all because we think sports is interesting, we think there are benefits and we think some of the lessons management teams have learned can be applied to other sports.”

According to The Telegraph, Liberty Media were ‘mooted’ by an insider but declined to comment on the reports.

MSP interest

According to a report in the Financial Times last month, MSP Sports Capital chairman Jahm Najafi is set to launch a bid for Spurs worth up to £3.75 billion.

Najafi chairs MSP Sports Capital and is expected to lead an approach for Spurs, but a consortium of other investors will also provide funding.

According to the report, the other investors will come from the Middle East and MSP will provide 70% of the funding for the takeover.

On Wednesday, The Telegraph reported that Najafi, who has now been linked with a move to Everton, is expected to make a ‘total buyout offer’.

Levy’s stance

At a discussion he gave in April at the Cambridge Union, Levy recently ended his quiet over a potential takeover. “ENIC owns approximately 87% of the club and we have 30,000 shareholders and most of them are fans who own the shares,” he explained.

“We have a duty to consider any proposal anyone wants to make.”All I can tell is that we are not now engaged in any negotiations and have not been either.