Tottenham takeover: Billionaire ‘set to launch blockbuster $3.75bn bid’ with offer just ‘weeks away’

Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi is reportedly ‘preparing a blockbuster bid’ in an attempt to become the new majority shareholder of Tottenham.

The ENIC group (headed up by Spurs owner Joe Lewis) are currently holds an 85.55% stake in the Premier League club. Daniel Levy is Tottenham’s chairman also has a stake in the company.

They have had a controlling stake in the London club since 2001 as they purchased shares from Alan Sugar.

Levy in particular has come under fire in recent years as the club has not won a trophy since they won the League Cup in 2008.

They now have Antonio Conte as their manager. The Italian is renowned as a serial winner and they pulled off a bit of a coup to get him as he has won league titles across Europe.

Conte is yet to commit his future at the club and this comes amid uncertainties behind the scenes. Levy has been seeking fresh investment in recent months.

It was revealed back in January that

Now a fresh report from The Financial Times claims ‘Najafi is preparing a blockbuster $3.75bn takeover bid for Tottenham’. They state that this information comes from ‘two people with direct knowledge of the plans’.

Najafi – the chair of MSP Sports Capital – is ‘working on structuring a bid’ along with a ‘consortium of investors’ and it is claimed that they are just ‘weeks away’ from contacting Tottenham’s Lewis and Levy. It is indicated that they are keen to capitalise on Spurs fans being ‘increasingly frustrated by the lack of trophies’.

The report adds: ‘The Najafi and MSP-led offer would value the club’s equity at approximately $3bn before adding about $750mn of debt on the club’s books.

‘The bid is structured so that MSP and its partners will put forward 70 per cent of the purchase price, while backers from the Gulf, mainly from Abu Dhabi, will contribute the remaining 30 per cent.’

Ex-Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan feels Tottenham’s current owners should “bite their arm off” if this takeover interest is genuine.

“This is a long way from anything that is going to move past significant initial discussions, and again it’s a deal that’s going to be structured with private equity and funding,” Jordan told talkSPORT.

“But it is a significant situation for Tottenham. Of course, Tottenham fans will light on it ‘anyone but Levy.’”

He added: “At £3bn? Bite their arm off at the shoulder, absolutely.

“Depends how much debt they’re going to take and it depends how much the stadium plays into this and what the whole shape of the deal is. But if Lewis gets to walk away and Daniel [Levy] gets to walk away with £3bn, I should imagine they’ll sprint.”