Tottenham Hotspur owners turned down two suitors
The club is seen by some as one of the country’s top teams
[LONDON] Tottenham Hotspur said on Sunday (Sep 7) the family of billionaire Joe Lewis turned down two suitors that expressed interest in acquiring the London-based football club.
Tottenham said in a statement that the investment company through which the Lewis family controls the club received two expressions of interest: one from the investment fund controlled by former Newcastle United part-owner Amanda Staveley, and another from a consortium called Firehawk Holdings, which is led by Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng.
“Enic has no intention to accept any such offer to acquire its interest in the club,” Tottenham said, referring to the Lewis family’s investment company Enic Sports & Developments Holdings.
The sudden departure of longtime Tottenham executive chairman Daniel Levy last week sparked speculation that a takeover bid may be imminent. The club said on Thursday that there were no changes to its ownership or shareholder structure, however.
PCP International Finance, Staveley’s investment fund, issued a statement earlier on Sunday saying it does not intend to submit an offer.
The statement left the door open for a future offer, however, saying it could launch a bid if a suitor emerges for the football club or if PCP is invited to make an offer. Staveley declined to comment.
Although Tottenham finished 17th in the Premier League last season and has not won a league title since the 1960-1961 season, the club is seen by some as one of the country’s top teams. Spurs secured a spot in the top-flight UEFA Champions League competition this season by winning the Europa League trophy over Manchester United in May.
Under Levy’s stewardship, the club has built itself a state-of-the-art stadium in north London that regularly stages music concerts, NFL games and boxing competitions. Tottenham was valued at about £3.5 billion (S$6 billion) by data firm Football Benchmark.
Bloomberg reported last year that Staveley was searching for her next football investment and had held initial talks with Rothschild, a Tottenham adviser, about acquiring a minority stake in the club. BLOOMBERG
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