Tottenham Hotspur, a renowned North London club, is currently on the hunt for new investment. This article will delve into the recent developments surrounding this matter and its potential implications for the club.
Daniel Levy and ENIC have been open about their search for new investment in Tottenham. Approximately 13% of Spurs is owned by institutional investors, which Levy claims necessitates exploring any offers presented to them.
Earlier this year, a significant development occurred when it was announced that Spurs had enlisted Rothschild bank to search for potential investors. Although it wasn't specified whether this would be in the form of a full or partial takeover, it was widely presumed that a partial takeover is more likely. Reports suggest that an investment between 10-15% is being considered, with possibilities of up to 20-25%. Notably, Spurs value themselves at £3.75bn.
Potential Investors
Following her exit from Newcastle United, Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners have been linked with Spurs after raising £500m from various Middle Eastern investors and beyond for a new football acquisition. Previously linked groups include MSP Sports Capital and Liberty Media who were rumoured to be considering full takeovers of Spurs. Even rapper-investor Jay-Z has been mentioned as a potential investor - albeit slightly more tenuously.
Given that minority investments could cost as much as £750m, there are only so many viable candidates available in what is currently quite a saturated Premier League takeover market. Currently Manchester United are the only English football club publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Other clubs like Juventus and Borussia Dortmund also have publicly traded shares further abroad.
Recently Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor expressed interest in taking his Eagle Football Group public potentially on the NYSE or NASDAQ. However, contrary to claims made by The Guardian, Tottenham is not considering a public listing on the NYSE as a means of strengthening their capital base. Being publicly listed comes with greater reporting requirements which would provide Spurs fans with more transparency into the club’s finances. This model was once more prevalent in English football; shares in Spurs were available to buy on the London Stock Exchange until 2012.
The Future of Tottenham
The Premier League takeover market is currently quite saturated with Brentford, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Wolves all believed to be looking for minority investment. Everton has been embroiled in their full takeover saga for over a year now.
Adding another layer of complexity are reports that groups fronted by Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali are vying for full control of Chelsea.
As these developments unfold, it will be interesting to see how they impact Tottenham's search for new investment and what this could mean for the future of one of North London's most iconic clubs.
