Jay-Z business partner names Premier League club he likes amid Tottenham takeover link

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Amanda Staveley is making headlines for her interest in Tottenham, but she is not the only party to have been linked with investing in recent times.

Following her departure from Newcastle United, where she became a cult figure, Staveley has raised £500m and wants to buy a minority stake in Spurs.

Or, more accurately, she wants to facilitate a deal using capital from a consortium of investors, with Staveley herself likely to borrow to fund her stake in Tottenham.

Spurs chairman and co-owner Daniel Levy announced in April that the club was looking to strengthen its capital base in order to reinvest in the club and fund infrastructure projects.

It seems likely that at least part of the capital raised – which, for a 10-20 per cent stake could be as much as £650m – will go towards the construction of a new hotel at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With Spurs now having been granted the license to host up to 30 non-football events at the state-of-the-art venue per year, it appears that they want to make Spurs a lifestyle brand as much as a football club.

They are not alone in this within football.

Ryan Reynold’s investment in Wrexham is the most prominent example of a celebrity endorsing a club with the hope of opening revenue streams beyond prize money and broadcast income.

However, there have been dozens more in recent years. LeBron James at Liverpool, Will Ferrell at Leeds United. and Tom Brady at Birmingham City to name a handful.

Now, one investor with the backing of one of the world’s biggest superstars has perhaps dropped a hint that he is eyeing a Premier League club as a business prospect.

• READ MORE: Secret Tottenham recruit with £200m mission from Daniel Levy spotted for first time in London

Roc Nation president reveals admiration for Premier League club

Last year, headlines circulated about the billionaire rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z being interested in taking over Tottenham.

The headlines were not as far fetched as some readers might have initially thought.

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, owns the agency Roc Nation which represents footballers such as Kevin De Bruyne, Vinicius Junior and Romelu Lukaku.

The 54-year-old has also previous expressed an interest in buying Spurs’ North London rivals Arsenal, while he has also regularly attended Paris Saint-Germain matches.

However, it looks as though Roc Nation’s interests may possibly lie elsewhere.

Speaking to the Business of Sport podcast, Roc Nation president Michael Yormark was asked about which Premier League club he thinks has the potential to become a lifestyle brand.

“Crystal Palace,” came his answer.

“I think it has a unique opportunity. It’s an underdog. I’m not gonna pick the obvious – the Arsenals, Liverpools, Manchester Uniteds.

“They’re big brands already. But I think based on their location, it would be a unique opportunity.”

• READ MORE: Secret Tottenham recruit with £200m mission from Daniel Levy spotted for first time in London

Tottenham investment: If not Amanda Staveley, who?

Amanda Staveley has remained tight lipped on the prospect of her PCP Capital Partners group investing in Spurs.

Several outlets’ sources have even doubted the veracity of the reports that the Middle East-facing financier is in talks with Levy and his ENIC peers at all.

Her interest may well be genuine, but even if she isn’t, there appears to be a whole other ecosystem of would-be buyers for a stake in Spurs.

The private equity sector is interested in Spurs, for example.

The Premier League takeover and minority investment market is saturated at present, with swathes of investors having failed in their attempts to buy Everton, who will soon come under Dan Friedkin’s control.

A minority stake in Tottenham would cost roughly the same as the enterprise value of Everton, so there could be a ready-made market there.

Although, the fact that any incoming investor would not have the same degree of control in N17 as they might have done at Goodison Park might make the Venn diagram a little looser.