EPL Club Tottenham Reportedly For Sale; Dubai Syndicate Linked

Dubai Syndicate Reportedly Interested In Acquiring Tottenham Hotspur

English Premier League (EPL) club Tottenham Hotspur Owner Joe Lewis is "understood to be considering selling Spurs when the time is right," according to Martin Lipton of the London MIRROR. A Dubai-based syndicate, though "unwilling to go public with its intentions," is "ready to make a move for the club." Lewis' ENIC investment group owns 82% of Tottenham. Lipton notes a sale of the team "could probably fetch around" US$488M, but Lewis, who earlier this year lost US$781M following the collapse of Bear Stearns, and Tottenham Chair Daniel Levy are "looking for considerably more as they believe the value of the club will double over the next few years." The Dubai syndicate is unrelated to Dubai Int'l Capital, which has been linked to a possible acquisition of EPL club Liverpool. The interested syndicate "passed on the opportunity to invest" in EPL club Manchester City before it was purchased by former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (London MIRROR, 6/18).