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It appears that all the ENIC-Outters may be getting what they want sooner than expected. Rumors are once again circulating that an American group are interested in purchasing Tottenham Hotspur from billionaire owner Joe Lewis. The Evening Standard says:
Standard Sport can reveal a group of wealthy American businessmen, based in California, want to meet chairman Daniel Levy in New York.
The group has secured backing from global private equity investor The Carlyle Group - which once included former Conservative Prime Minister John Major as chairman of the company's European wing from 2001-04.
Tottenham's current ownership group have valued the club at $1 billion, but it is believed that the American group, like Cain Hoy earlier this fall, is some way off that figure. The article goes on to state that the investment group would be in favor of keeping Daniel Levy in place as chairman, something that may not be too popular with some segments of the Tottenham fanbase.
The description "wealthy American businessmen, based in California" gives almost no clue whatsoever as to who the ownership group could consist of. Perhaps it's Mark Zuckerburg, Donald Sterling, or, my personal preference, Larry Ellison. Ellison, the former Oracle CEO, was rumored to be interested in purchasing Aston Villa from Randy Lerner back in May. Nothing really ever came of those rumors and it's pretty unclear if they were anything more than speculation. However, having the fifth wealthiest person in the world as Tottenham's owner would be pretty cool, right?
Regardless of who the new ownership group consists of, they'll almost certainly have to meet Lewis' asking price. The current ownership group are not going to undervalue this club, especially with a brand new stadium on the horizon, which could raise the club's value even further.