Tottenham Hotspur have been in discussions with prospective investors this year, reputedly regarding selling some, but not all, of the club.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy acknowledged that in the club's latest set of financial results, released in April. Reports in late July claimed talks were taking place to sell a minority stake in the club, expected to be around 10 per cent.
The former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley and her fund, PCP Capital, have reputedly expressed an interest in Tottenham, something she did not deny when asked about it during an interview around the same time. An update on her potential interest in Spurs has now come to light with some informal conversations taking place earlier this month.
The prospective Manchester United owner Sheikh Jassim and American investors MSP Sports Capital and 777 Partners had also been credited with an interest. With all of that being said, football.london has the latest on a potential takeover or sale of a stake in the club.
New investment talks
According to the Sunday edition of the sun, Mehrdad Ghodoussi, the husband and business partner of Amanda Staveley, was a VIP guest at Tottenham vs Arsenal last weekend.
Talks over a potential cash injection at Spurs were said to have taken place with ex-Newcastle co-owner Staveley having put together a team to buy a percentage of the club with Middle Eastern cash and other backers.
Rothschild 'talks'
Bloomberg reported in mid-July that Spurs are one of multiple clubs, including Monaco, that Staveley is possibly looking at as she searches for another football investment after selling her stake in Newcastle that same month, with talks already said to have taken place with the club's advisors Rothschild and Co. Later in July, The Sunday Times claimed that Staveley had expressed an interest in a stake in Tottenham after reputedly raising £500million through her firm PCP Capital Partners.
The financier helped the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund purchase Newcastle in 2021, taking on six per cent of the club and had been a public-facing figure of the consortium until she left. Staveley, 51, has been spotted at Spurs matches over the past few years, watching on at Stamford Bridge and St James' Park during matches involving the club.
Staveley's stance
Asked by The Athletic what she could say about the potential investment in Tottenham, Stavely said: “Not much, I’m afraid. My preference would have been to stay with Newcastle, but life doesn’t always work out exactly how you want it to.
"Nothing is going to replicate that. I fell in love with Newcastle, the club and the people, and that can’t change, but I didn’t want to get in Newcastle’s way. It’s got to be about what’s best for Newcastle.
“Mehrdad [Ghodoussi, her husband and fellow financier who was also a Newcastle co-owner] and I are keen to be hands-on. We’re hard-working people; I love to be very busy and to engage, and I love football. Very sadly, we have to move on to other projects, and that might involve us taking a stake in another club or buying another club, and that’s difficult. But it’s possible.
“I don’t know what my future holds, but you can never move on from the love I have for Newcastle, and I would love to come back for matches. I’m a Geordie now. I’m a Yorkshire Geordie, but I will always have that chemistry and that love.”
Chelsea comparison
Kieran Maguire believes Spurs could command a record-breaking fee if the club's owners decide to cash in. In an interview with TBR, Maguire claimed Spurs could use their rivals' sale as leverage in takeover talks. The football finance expert said: "Chelsea was £2.5bn and they were a distressed asset.
"If you are looking at Chelsea and Spurs, it’s a bit like if you’re buying a house. If I’m looking at two houses side by side and one needs a new kitchen, the windows done etc, whereas the other one has been fully refurbished by the owner, that second property looks more attractive.
"For Spurs, the infrastructure commitment has already been undertaken by the owners, both in terms of the stadium and the training facilities. With Chelsea, there is still a question about that. They can’t stand still if they want to be competitive in the Premier League.
"They either need to move to a new site or do a very substantial rebuild of Stamford Bridge. The problem is that at Chelsea, the location of the ground means that you are going to be dealing with millionaire property owners who wouldn’t like the idea of construction work for two or three years. That would be a very litigious and complicated arrangement. All of that makes Spurs look very attractive."
Valuation verdict
The former Aston Villa and Everton chief executive Keith Wyness believes Tottenham is worth around the reported £3.75billion valuation they are said to be seeking. “I think it is a realistic valuation, given the stadium," Wyness told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast in late July.
“Daniel Levy has been known over the years as one of the best negotiators, always pushing for the highest valuations – whether that’s sponsorships or player sales. He’s a good operator, and £3.75billion is not far away. I can see how that can happen.
“It’s interesting to watch. What they’re really after is a minority investor, not a full takeover for the full amount. They want someone to take around 10-15%.”
Levy's stance
In the club's latest set of financial results, which were released in April, Levy acknowledged: "the board and its advisors, Rothschild & Co, are in discussions with prospective investors" as they need to "continue to invest in the teams and undertake future capital projects, the club requires a significant increase in its equity base".