‘Unequivocally rejected’ – Tottenham forced to release statement amid two shock takeover approaches

The Lewis family have emphatically confirmed Tottenham Hotspur are not for sale. Questions over the future of the Spurs hierarchy have arisen since the shock announcement of Daniel Levy stepping down as chairman. Levy’s exit has sparked a huge change in the Spurs hierarchyAFP talkSPORT understands that although the statement said he stepped down, Levy was removed from the position. Such a change in personnel raised the suggestion of a sale in at the north London side, who are valued in excess of £3billion. However, the club released a statement on Sunday night confirming the club is not for sale and it had ‘unequivocally rejected’ formal interest from interested parties. Tottenham statement in full “The board of Tottenham Hotspur Limited is aware of recent media speculation and confirms that its majority shareholder, ENIC Sports & Developments Holdings Ltd, has received, and unequivocally rejected, separate preliminary expressions of interest in relation to proposals to acquire the entire issued, and to be issued, share capital of ENIC from (i) PCP International Finance Limited; and (ii) a consortium of investors led by Dr. Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng through Firehawk Holdings Limited. “As a consequence of ENIC’s majority ownership interest in Tottenham Hotspur, were any offer made to acquire ENIC and complete, a mandatory offer would be required under Rule 9 of the Code to acquire the shares of Tottenham Hotspur not already held by ENIC. “The board of the club and ENIC confirm that Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale and ENIC has no intention to accept any such offer to acquire its interest in the club. “In accordance with Rule 2.6(a) of the Code, each of PCP and the consortium is separately required, by not later than 5.00 p.m. on 5 October 2025, to either announce a firm intention to make an offer for the company in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Code or announce that it does not intend to make an offer for the Company, in which case their respective announcements will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies. “This deadline can be extended with the consent of the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Code. Accordingly, this announcement commences an offer period for the purposes of the Code. “The person responsible for arranging the release of this announcement on behalf of Tottenham Hotspur is Peter Charrington (Non-Executive Chairman).” Amid their stance, talkSPORT understands former Newcastle director Amanda Staveley is expected to release a statement on Monday to declare she has no intention to lodge a bid for the club. Joe Lewis (left) and the Lewis family own the majority of TottenhamGetty The businesswoman must do so to avoid market manipulation as 13 per cent of the club is publicly listed. How the Spurs ownership could change Early in 2023, it was reported that Spurs were set to be approached by Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi over a takeover. Najafi was preparing a £3.1b bid for the Premier League club. The news came amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain owners Qatar Sports Investment eyeing a minority stake at Spurs. Levy reportedly held talks with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi over a potential partnership. Despite Levy no longer being chairman, it looks as though ENIC will remain in charge of the club for the time being. Staveley [left] will soon make it clear that she is not interested in buying SpursGetty talkSPORT have also revealed that well-placed sources denied suggestions of a Qatar investor closing in on a takeover. But talkSPORT’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook insisted that doesn’t mean the door was firmly closed on a foreign entity investing in Tottenham. “What it means for the future of Spurs I think is unclear at this moment in time,” Crook said upon the announcement of Levy’s exit. “They’re saying that the way the club is run the ownership structure will remain the same. “But I’ve got to say there have been whispers and myself and Ben Jacobs have been sort of trying to find out more about this in the last few weeks that there is significant outside investment coming into Tottenham. Spurs could welcome a multi-billion pound takeover in the futureGetty “Probably from the Middle East, from the likes of Saudi Arabia. “So you wonder if this is the first step to a change of ownership at the top of the club, despite what Spurs are saying at this moment in time.”

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‘Unequivocally rejected’ – Tottenham forced to release statement amid two shock takeover approaches

The Lewis family have emphatically confirmed Tottenham Hotspur are not for sale.

Questions over the future of the Spurs hierarchy have arisen since the shock announcement of Daniel Levy stepping down as chairman.

Levy’s exit has sparked a huge change in the Spurs hierarchy

talkSPORT understands that although the statement said he stepped down, Levy was removed from the position.

Such a change in personnel raised the suggestion of a sale in at the north London side, who are valued in excess of £3billion.

However, the club released a statement on Sunday night confirming the club is not for sale and it had ‘unequivocally rejected’ formal interest from interested parties.

Tottenham statement in full

“The board of Tottenham Hotspur Limited is aware of recent media speculation and confirms that its majority shareholder, ENIC Sports & Developments Holdings Ltd, has received, and unequivocally rejected, separate preliminary expressions of interest in relation to proposals to acquire the entire issued, and to be issued, share capital of ENIC from (i) PCP International Finance Limited; and (ii) a consortium of investors led by Dr. Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng through Firehawk Holdings Limited.

“As a consequence of ENIC’s majority ownership interest in Tottenham Hotspur, were any offer made to acquire ENIC and complete, a mandatory offer would be required under Rule 9 of the Code to acquire the shares of Tottenham Hotspur not already held by ENIC.

“The board of the club and ENIC confirm that Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale and ENIC has no intention to accept any such offer to acquire its interest in the club.

“In accordance with Rule 2.6(a) of the Code, each of PCP and the consortium is separately required, by not later than 5.00 p.m. on 5 October 2025, to either announce a firm intention to make an offer for the company in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Code or announce that it does not intend to make an offer for the Company, in which case their respective announcements will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies.

“This deadline can be extended with the consent of the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Code. Accordingly, this announcement commences an offer period for the purposes of the Code.

“The person responsible for arranging the release of this announcement on behalf of Tottenham Hotspur is Peter Charrington (Non-Executive Chairman).”

Amid their stance, talkSPORT understands former Newcastle director Amanda Staveley is expected to release a statement on Monday to declare she has no intention to lodge a bid for the club.

Joe Lewis (left) and the Lewis family own the majority of Tottenham

The businesswoman must do so to avoid market manipulation as 13 per cent of the club is publicly listed.

How the Spurs ownership could change

Early in 2023, it was reported that Spurs were set to be approached by Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi over a takeover.

Najafi was preparing a £3.1b bid for the Premier League club.

The news came amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain owners Qatar Sports Investment eyeing a minority stake at Spurs.

Levy reportedly held talks with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi over a potential partnership.

Despite Levy no longer being chairman, it looks as though ENIC will remain in charge of the club for the time being.

Staveley [left] will soon make it clear that she is not interested in buying Spurs

talkSPORT have also revealed that well-placed sources denied suggestions of a Qatar investor closing in on a takeover.

But talkSPORT’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook insisted that doesn’t mean the door was firmly closed on a foreign entity investing in Tottenham.

“What it means for the future of Spurs I think is unclear at this moment in time,” Crook said upon the announcement of Levy’s exit.

“They’re saying that the way the club is run the ownership structure will remain the same.

“But I’ve got to say there have been whispers and myself and Ben Jacobs have been sort of trying to find out more about this in the last few weeks that there is significant outside investment coming into Tottenham.

Spurs could welcome a multi-billion pound takeover in the future

“Probably from the Middle East, from the likes of Saudi Arabia.

“So you wonder if this is the first step to a change of ownership at the top of the club, despite what Spurs are saying at this moment in time.”