£3.1bn Tottenham takeover bid imminent, as MSP could walk away from Everton talks and eye Spurs instead
Iranian-American billionaire Jah Najafi is reportedly preparing to launch a £3.1bn takeover bid for Tottenham Hotspur, according to reports.
Najafi is the chair of MSP Sports Capital, who were rumoured to be considering purchasing a stake in Everton, but now it seems that they prefer to buy Spurs outright.
It is believed that the billionaire, who is a partial owner of the Phoenix Suns NBA team, will approach Daniel Levy and Joe Lewis in the coming weeks.
Narafi is working with a consortium to prepare the structure of the huge bid, which could turn Spurs into one of the wealthiest clubs in the world.
The bid is set to be structured so that Najafi and MSP would put forward 70 per cent of the bid, while others would contribute the remaining 30 per cent.
According to the Financial Times, these other backers are likely to come from the Gulf and particularly Abu Dhabi.
This will likely be good news for Spurs fans, as it would end the unpopular ownership of ENIC.
ENIC, which is connected to Lewis and Levy, purchased a 26 per cent stake in the club from Lord Alan Sugar for £21.9m back in 2000.
Their time in charge has been praised for the building of their new stadium, along with their shrewd financial management and the fact that Spurs have regularly qualified for Europe.
However, with Tottenham’s last trophy being a League Cup back in 2008, their supporters have become frustrated by what they believe is a lack of ambition from Levy and co, staging multiple protests in recent months.
MSP choose to takeover Tottenham over Everton investment
As mentioned, MSP and Narafi were reportedly in talks with Everton over buying a 25% stake in the club as recently as last week, but it now seems they have instead opted to take over Tottenham.
This will come as a major blow to the Toffees’ majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, who has been seeking new investment to help fund the building of their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
It’s possible that MSP could invest in both Premier League clubs – but it seems unlikely given the size of their proposed bid for Tottenham.
It is believed that Najafi’s interest in Spurs has been enhanced by the potential ‘real estate and development rights’ that would be ‘possible through ownership.’
Indeed, a key part of Tottenham’s financial development over recent years has been their varying sources of income – with their new stadium hosting concerts, NFL games, boxing matches and other things.
Narafi would be the latest American billionaire to become a Premier League club owner after the likes Chelsea and AFC Bournemouth were bought out in 2022.
His potential arrival would also give Tottenham some added funds to spend on transfer targets, as they look to solidify their spot as part of the top flight’s ‘big six.’
Narafi graduated with a Masters in Business Economics from Harvard University and has a stake in the McLaren F1 team, along with his partial ownership of the Phoenix Suns basketball team.
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