Daniel Levy could leave Tottenham in the near future after the latest sale hint, according to reports that have emerged on the eve of the home Premier League clash with Leicester City.
The Spurs chairman has been the subject of intense criticism for a number of years in north London and that has been amplified by a disastrous Premier League so far for Ange Postecoglou’s men.
The Australian’s future is currently on a knife edge heading into the must-win Foxes clash, although Tottenham fans were venting the majority of anger at Levy after last weekend’s 3-2 defeat at Everton as Postecoglou and the players applauded them for their support.
Spurs have been devastated by injuries for the past couple of months, particularly defensively, while their approach over the summer of signing younger talents to replace experienced performers has also played a part in their struggles.
What looked like it might be a busy January, after the early addition of impressive young keeper Antonin Kinsky, has turned into a damp squib – with plenty of speculation over a striker signing in particular but zero action so far.
The 62-year-old Levy has held his post in N17 since 2001 and there can be little argument that the club has grown significantly in that time, despite not picking up any silverware in 17 years now.
And, despite sitting in a fancy new stadium for almost six years, it’s the latter fact that has irked Tottenham fans – who feel that there has not been enough investment in the first-team squad to end that trophy drought.
But despite Postecoglou’s struggles this season, to go along with some of his shortcomings, Spurs supporters have made it very clear who they would rather see leave.
And, in his Sun on Sunday column, journalist Phil Thomas has hinted that Levy could wave goodbye, writing: “At some point, there will be a sacrifice and at some point, we all know it will be Ange Postecoglou. Spurs fans can scream as loud as they like, it won’t be Daniel Levy.
“Unless someone waves a fat cheque under Levy’s nose, and watch this space for that down the line, he is going nowhere.”
The ‘watch this space’ line is certainly very interesting, given continued talk that Levy could sell up if the right offer was made for the club.
Qatari interest in Tottenham ‘real’
Meanwhile, former Everton chief Keith Wyness insists the Qatari state has a “real interest” in investment at Tottenham going forward.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 67-year-old claimed the state-backed Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) are a “good match” for Spurs.
It was widely reported last year that Levy has been in talks to sell a 10% stake in Tottenham that could value the club at up to £3.75billion.
Levy has held several rounds of talks with QSI president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is also president at French giants PSG, over investment opportunities in recent years.
That relationship was reportedly renewed this month, when the Tottenham chief jetted out to Paris for in-person negotiations over a potential deal for striker Randal Kolo Muani.
And now Wyness has given his take on potential changes in N17, saying: “The talks between QSI and Spurs have been going on for years now. The first reports were three years ago, when they started discussing a potential deal.
“There’s no doubt there is real interest from Qatar. I think a London club like Spurs fit the profile, but the problem is with PSG and how they’d handle that with the Champions League rules. But at the moment, Spurs aren’t threatening to make the Champions League.
“Qatar like to invest in clubs with big assets, like the new stadium. I do think it would work. We might see something develop out of this.
“Nasser Al-Khelaifi is a very reasonable guy, I’ve met him a few times, and he understands that it will all depend on the QSI’s long-term strategy. But I think it’s a good match.”