Tottenham Hotspur 'not for sale', despite two expressions of interest
Tottenham Hotspur's board confirmed its owner has "unequivocally rejected" two expressions of interest in acquiring a majority stake and reiterated that the club is "not for sale".
A statement on Tottenham's club website released on Sunday revealed that the club's majority owner, ENIC Sports & Developments Holdings Ltd, had rejected two separate preliminary expressions of interest in the north London club.
The statement read: "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."
One of the two interested parties was PCP International Finance Limited, a company controlled by former Newcastle United shareholder Amanda Staveley, although Sky News has reported that the company are expected to issue a statement declaring that she does not intend to make a formal offer for Tottenham.
The other prospective buyer was a consortium led by Dr Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng through Firehawk Holdings Limited.
Speculation concerning a potential takeover of the north London club had started to gain traction following the departure of executive chairman Daniel Levy on Thursday.
UK businessman Joe Lewis and his family own a majority stake in ENIC.
Levy, who reportedly owns a stake of 30% in ENIC, had been in his post for nearly a quarter of a century and was the longest-serving chairman in the Premier League at the time of the announcement. His exit was rumoured to be driven by a desire to revitalise the leadership of the club.
The 63-year-old was a controversial figure amongst Tottenham supporters and had been the subject of regular protests, with several arising last season in light of Spurs' alarming Premier League form.
Upon his exit, Levy said: "I am incredibly proud of the work I have done together with the executive team and all our employees. We have built this club into a global heavyweight competing at the highest level."
"I wish to thank all the fans that have supported me over the years. It hasn't always been an easy journey but significant progress has been made. I will continue to support this club passionately."