LONDON - Manchester United, Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur are among England’s top Premier League clubs being targeted by Qatar, the Middle Eastern nation buoyed from hosting the most expensive World Cup ever.
Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi recently held conversations with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy over the possible purchase of a stake in the London-based club, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting.
QSI is also considering both a full takeover or a stake in rivals including United or Liverpool, added the person, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.
A spokesman for QSI declined to comment, while spokesmen of the three clubs also did not confirm the news.
QSI has reportedly decided to consider at least one investment in the Premier League after hosting what the country views as a successful World Cup. The move is both a hedge against investments in less high-profile leagues like Portugal, and due to the Premier League’s continued growth and global profile.
Any potential deal – either an outright takeover or a minority stake – would further cement Qatar’s strategy of investing in sports assets, in part to boost the country’s profile and also to invest its vast wealth from natural resources.
Qatar recently spent over US$200 billion (S$266 billion) during the past decade redeveloping the country’s infrastructure to host the World Cup. Alongside building brand-new stadiums and entire municipalities, Qatar has also been buying sports assets, including the high-profile takeover of Paris Saint-Germain, a stake in Portugal’s SC Braga and the development of sports-focused beIN Media Group.
The American Glazer family that owns United is looking for an investor and might be prepared to sell up, while the owners of Liverpool are also weighing a sale.
Tottenham, which has developed a state-of-the-art new stadium with a capacity of over 60,000, was valued at just under €2 billion (S$2.86 billion), according to Football Benchmark, an industry data provider and consultant. Rival Chelsea sold for £2.5 billion in 2022 to a US consortium.
It is unclear whether QSI has held talks with other Premier League clubs, and any potential bid is currently at an early stage. CBS Sports first reported the meeting between QSI and Tottenham.
The Premier League already has two clubs with Middle Eastern owners, with Manchester City owned by Abu Dhabi-based City Football Group and Newcastle United recently acquired by a consortium backed by Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund, who are also building out their sporting assets.
“There’s been a growing interest in English Premier League clubs considering the sale of minority stakes,” says Adam Sommerfeld, managing partner at Certus Capital Partners. “The clubs have watched Manchester United and Liverpool begin processes and are now reacting by leaving themselves open to talks with investors.” BLOOMBERG
