Tottenham rubbish reports of billion pound takeover

Tottenham have denied they are in discussions regarding a reported £1 billion (€1.25bn) takeover, but it remains unclear where the club will call home for the 2017/18 season.

It was claimed yesterday that the club’s owner, Joe Lewis, was prepared to sell as Spurs build a new stadium adjacent to their current White Hart Lane home.

Tottenham said those suggestions were wide of the mark, with a statement on the club’s website reading: “Contrary to recent press speculation, neither the club, nor its majority shareholder, are in any takeover discussions and the focus of the club is fully on delivering the new stadium project.”

The new stadium, a 56,250-seat venue, has been hit with a legal wrangling which now means it will not be ready to host Spurs from 2017 onwards — as the club confirmed yesterday they are likely to be forced to spend a season in a different ground.

Wembley, the Olympic Stadium and stadium:mk have all been touted as potential venues, with the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust expressing fears the club’s identity risks being severely damaged if the wrong groundshare option is taken.

“The board of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust is understandably concerned to hear the latest announcement from the club regarding delays to the building of a new stadium,” a THST statement read.

“While we cannot, for obvious reasons, comment on the details of the legal process around the High Court appeal, we find it surprising that negotiations between the club and one business have continued for seven years without resolution.”

Although accepting that a move may be beyond anyone’s control, THST also laid out issues it worries could risk longer-reaching changes to its club.

“While the Trust is pragmatic about the need to move from White Hart Lane for one season, the prospect of moving from north London raises a number of issues for supporters, the local community, and the club’s identity,” the statement added.

“For the supporters, there are serious issues over the logistics and expense of travel to home games. For the local community, which is depending upon the stadium project as a catalyst for regeneration, there are serious economic implications. We believe the cost of such a move to the local economy needs to be seriously considered.

“Moving away from the area threatens serious damage to the identity of a club which has always played in north London. We would like greater transparency as to why the option of playing at White Hart Lane, the option which would benefit N17 the most, is apparently now no longer available.”

Wembley has been identified by THST as a favoured solution, but Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino conceded a move 50 miles away to Milton Keynes remains a possibility.

“I was in Milton Keynes to watch the game with Manchester United in the Capital One Cup. It was the first time I had been there.

“It is a very good stadium with very good facilities but nothing more — it’s a possibility.”