Tottenham Hotspur have rejected a takeover proposal from an American consortium and have reaffirmed their "not for sale" stance regarding the club.
In a statement on Friday, the Spurs board, led by majority shareholders ENIC group, announced it has "received and unequivocally rejected" an informal expression of interest by a consortium led by Brooklyn Earick, a former DJ who used to work at NASA.
The informal approach - which came some time ago - came through an email to check whether the club was for sale. There were no advisors to the approach, nor any proof of funds.
"The board of the club and ENIC reconfirm that Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale and ENIC is not looking to sell its stake in the club," the Spurs statement, made by new non-executive chairman Peter Charrington, read.
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The US consortium now has until 5pm on October 24 to either announce a firm intention to make an offer for the club or not.
On his Instagram account on Friday, Earick posted a photo of the Spurs dressing room with a countdown to the deadline.
A source close to the Lewis family who run Spurs said: "This unsolicited and unnecessary interest does nothing to change the family's resolve and commitment to do whatever it takes to drive success on the pitch. The club is not for sale."
The news follows Daniel Levy's departure from the club after nearly 25 years as executive chairman.
Levy's exit led to further speculation that the Lewis family are preparing for a potential sale - something that has been rumoured in football for some time. Sky Sports News has been told the decision was taken in pursuit of long-term success and building on the foundations of their Europa League triumph.
Frank: My interactions with Lewis family have been good
Spurs head coach Thomas Frank, who was appointed by Levy and the Spurs board in the summer, said his interactions with the Lewis family have been "good" amid this latest takeover proposal.
"You can say the start of my time here was very stable," Frank said. "Daniel has been here for almost 25 years, and then the change came - okay, I didn't expect that.
"Since then, the Lewis family have been very transparent and good in the way they have communicated that the club is not for sale.
"Vinai [Venkatesham, Spurs' CEO] has been on top of everything and has been very clear, so for me I feel a very stable environment.
"I have learned over a lot of years that the only thing which helps me and the team is to fully focus on the team and the players.
"I've said two or three times before, I've had some interactions with the Lewis family. It's been good."
Who is Brooklyn Earick?
Earick is an American tech industry expert, who founded Redacted RnD, a company with a focus on technology, sports, media and entertainment.
The 41-year-old also founded Algorith Capital, an investment fund entity.
In his earlier days, Earick was a DJ and secured a record deal with Warner Records. He also performed at the Sundance Music Festival.
He then changed careers after suffering from burnout and secured an internship at NASA as an electrical engineer in the small spacecraft division.
Earick's Redacted RnD group was said to be in talks over buying Maserati's Formula E team, but the move fell through.