Tottenham says club is 'not for sale' after rejecting 2 expressions of interest
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LONDON (AP) — Tottenham has insisted the club is not for sale after rejecting two preliminary expressions of interest for a possible takeover.
In a statement released late Sunday, Tottenham said one of the expressions of interest came from PCP International Finance Limited, the investment vehicle led by Amanda Staveley — who brokered the 2021 buyout of Newcastle that was largely funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.
Tottenham's future is under scrutiny following the sudden departure of long-time chairman Daniel Levy last week.
ENIC Sports & Developments Holdings Ltd is the club's majority shareholder with a reported 87% stake and has been run since 2022 by the family trust of British billionaire Joe Lewis, who pleaded guilty last year to insider trading and conspiracy charges. Levy and his family reportedly hold about a 30% stake in ENIC.
Tottenham’s board said it had “received, and unequivocally rejected, separate preliminary expressions of interest in relation to proposals to acquire" ENIC. The second expression of interest, the board said, came from a consortium of investors led by Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng through Firehawk Holdings Limited.
“The board of the club and ENIC confirm that Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale," the statement said, "and ENIC has no intention to accept any such offer to acquire its interest in the club.”
Tottenham said last week there would be “no changes to the ownership or shareholder structure of the club” in light of the departure of Levy, a divisive figure whose nearly 25-year tenure made him the longest-serving chairman in the Premier League.
Tottenham is playing in the Champions League this season after winning the Europa League in May for its first trophy in 17 years.
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