Daniel Levy is said to be pricing Tottenham Hotspur out of a potential takeover because of his high valuation and intention to remain involved in the club.
The Spurs chairman acknowledged last April that the club were in talks with potential investors, but, almost a year later, there appears to be no breakthrough in discussions. That is despite the appointment of financial advisory group Rothschild & Co around the same time.
Amanda Staveley, the former Newcastle United director, and Qatar Sports Investments chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi have reportedly shown interest in the club. As the Qatar Investment Authority have, however, Qatari investors are now said to no longer have interest in possibly purchasing a stake in Spurs.
Bloomberg claims that is the case, who cited people familiar with the situation when reporting their current lack of interest. The publication also alleges Levy is one of the reasons behind the lack of a buyer for Tottenham, per people familiar with the talks on a potential sale.
The club's chairman's high valuation is said to be a factor causing talks to cease. So, too, is Levy's apparent intention to stay as a substantial investor or maintain control of football operations; however, the latter reputedly is not fundamental to any talks.
These reports contrast with those from The Guardian a fortnight ago that Qatari investors would be willing to allow Levy a continuing role as executive chairman. These private individuals are said to value his expertise and would show that by handing him a long-term contract.
The publication, though, cited sources at the club when claiming Spurs are not involved in any active negotiations over a takeover, stating Tottenham's valuation is £3.75billion. That is £0.85billion higher than the around £2.9billion (€3.5 billion) value from data firm Football Benchmark and almost a 23% increase on their estimate.