Tottenham Hotspur fans will be watching the takeover situation at Manchester United with interest.
The Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani wants to buy United through his Nine Two Foundation company while billionaire INEOS owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is also keen on purchasing the club. The protracted nature of the takeover has dragged on for so long that Red Devils supporters are fearful that they may not see their club taken out of the hands of the Glazers, its owners since 2005 and deeply unpopular custodians of the Old Trafford side.
Elsewhere, supporters will be on alert following comments made by CEO of Formula One owners Liberty Media, Gregg Maffei. The billionaire has hinted that his next big investment could come in the Premier League.
Here's the latest Tottenham takeover talk...
F1 owner hint
Greg Maffei, CEO of Formula One owners Liberty Media, has hinted that his next sporting venture could be in the Premier League. The American-based mass media company also owns the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball team.
Speaking on the Walker Webcast, he said: "You mention the Premier League teams; there isn't an asset we haven't looked at. That doesn't mean we've been ready to buy them all but we look at everything because we do think sports in general is attractive, we do think there are upsides and do think those things that management teams have taught up can help apply perhaps in other sports situations.”
Man United theory
Tottenham could be on Sheikh Jassim's radar if he misses out on United, it has been claimed. Sheikh Jassim confirmed his intentions to buy the 19-time Premier League winners back in February before submitting a world-record bid in excess of £5billion.
Talks are still ongoing seven months after the Glazers decided to announce their intentions to 'explore strategic alternatives for the club'. According to ESPN journalist Mark Ogden, Sheikh Jassim and his entourage have earmarked Spurs as a potential option.
"They want the Premier League footprint," Ogden told The United Stand. "Somebody told me recently, they said that if the Qataris don't buy Man United, they'll be back and they might end up buying Tottenham.
"He said, look, if you've got Manchester City owned by Abu Dhabi, you've got Newcastle owned by Saudi Arabia, if Qataris maybe buy Tottenham, then you've got three clubs who can pull away.
What has been said
The Financial Times claimed back in February that MSP Sports Capital chief Jahm Najafi was 'set to launch' a $3.75 billion (£3bn) bid for Spurs. With Najafi chairing MSP Sports Capital, he would lead an approach for the club but a consortium made up of other investors would also provide funding.
It was also reported that the other investors would be from the Middle East with MSP contributing 70% of the funds for the takeover. Spurs are currently owned by ENIC Group, which holds 85% of the club's stock, with Levy and Joe Lewis partners.
Levy's stance
Levy recently broke his silence on a potential takeover during a talk at the Cambridge Union in April. "ENIC owns approximately 87% of the club and we have 30,000 shareholders and most of them are fans who own the shares," he said.
"We have a duty to consider any proposal anyone wants to make. "All I would say is we are not in negotiations with anybody, nor have we been in recent months."
