The Qatar Sports Investments group wants to expand its holdings.
After hosting the FIFA World Cup last year, Qatar is looking to increase its influence in world football. Representatives from the Gulf State’s investment company have spoken with Tottenham Hotspur about purchasing a stake in the Premier League team.
Nasser al-Khelaifi, the head of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and the chairman of the French team Paris Saint-Germain, reportedly met with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy in London last week to discuss a potential QSI minority investment in the club. This is according to The Guardian, which cited sources close to al-Khelaifi.
At the moment, it is thought that rumours linking QSI to offers for Manchester United and Liverpool, both of which recently opened their doors to investors, are not true.
The potential investment is carefully timed: the pound is currently weak, and Qatar remains at the forefront of football, at least temporarily, after fulfilling its hosting duties for the FIFA World Cup last month. Even though there were some disagreements about the event, most people thought it went well. This has made some people in Qatar think that now is a good time to invest in the most watched football league in the world.
But because league rules say that teams owned by the same company can’t play in the same league, QSI can only buy a part of Tottenham.
Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain both participate frequently in the UEFA Champions League.
Minority stakes are permitted, and QSI already owns 22% of the Portuguese club Braga before making any additional investments.
Although QSI is presently seen as the front-runner for investing in Tottenham, at least two other parties are also thinking about making a proposal.
Tottenham, which is currently in fifth place in the Premier League, is more than £700 million ($850 million) in debt. This debt came from building the club’s 62,000-seat stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
