QATAR is ready to invest in a Prem club for the first time.
And PSG chief Nasser Al Khelaifi has already held “several conversations” with Daniel Levy over taking a potential stake in Tottenham.
Sources close to Al Khelaifi have confirmed his meetings with Levy to discuss possible next steps have taken place as part of a change in investment policy in the wake of the World Cup.
Those close to Levy claim that he met with Al-Khelaifi purely “as friends”.
But according to the Telegraph, QSI are mulling over an offer.
They claim that industry specialists believe that QSI have been presented with the possibility of buying a 25 per cent stake in Spurs, in exchange for just shy of £1bn.
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QSI’s global ambitions had been put on hold in the run-up to the World Cup but with that now out of the way, Qatar is ready to go big.
The investment fund bought a 21.7 per cent stake in Portuguese outfit Braga – at a cost of £70m.
QSI also launched a new global tour for the growing racket sport of padel – a hybrid of tennis and squash.
But now QSI IS taking aim at the Prem – and the discussions with Levy are the first signal of a likely new strategy.
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As the Qataris do not have any current Prem club stake, QSI could theoretically buy Spurs, Liverpool or Manchester United – both officially on the market – outright.
However, Uefa competition and ownership rules would restrict them from having a stake above the 30 per cent threshold of any club competing against PSG in the Champions League.
Unless they were to sell off PSG – which is understood not to be even contemplated at this stage – that would mean only a minority share of a Big Six club.
They could even invest, as minority owners, in multiple clubs with the expectation of continuing long-term growth of the Prem as the world’s pre-eminent domestic league.
Yet even a 25 per cent share in Tottenham would mean upwards of £700m being invested in the North London club – opening the possibility of a significant transfer budget.
That would still be dependent on the new Uefa spending regulations capping clubs at splashing out 90 per cent of revenues each year, set to be reduced to 70 per cent over the next three seasons.
But while no firm decisions or target clubs have been set, the Qataris believe the current weak value of sterling on the international markets means this is a huge investment opportunity that should not be passed up.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
