Recent social media activity may have piqued the interest of Tottenham fans, as club chairman Daniel Levy was photographed alongside Sheikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Mualla.
It has been a whirlwind past few years in north London. Spurs have gone from competing in a Champions League final and opening a state-of-the-art stadium that surpasses all others in the country, to chopping and changing their managers with mixed results.
At the top of the helm remains Levy. The 62-year-old is known as being one of the toughest negotiators in the sport, but his desperation for trophies has so far been fruitless. Although there is no definitive indication that he is open to selling the club – nor that Sheikh Abdullah is looking likely to buy Spurs – a picture of the pair together has left people intrigued about what Levy’s and Spurs’ future might hold.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy with hand on mouth
Levy spotted with Sheikh Abdullah
The picture was posted to the Sheikh’s Instagram
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In a photo that was posted on Instagram, the Tottenham owner can be seen shaking hands with Sheikh Abdullah. The photo appeared on the Sheikh’s personal account and was accompanied by the caption: ‘His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Mualla, Deputy Ruler of Umm Al Quwain Daniel Levy, CEO of English club Tottenham Hotspur.’
It is not yet known what the reason behind the meeting was or how it came about. However, given recent investment in football by other nation-states such as Saudi Arabia, many are speculating as to whether this may be an indication of Levy being open to the idea of selling Spurs in the near future.
Although there are no rumours to suggest Sheikh Abdullah is in any negotiation to purchase the club, this meeting could perhaps be the beginning of Levy beginning to see what interest in his ownership would be. The Glazer family underwent a similar strategy before selling a minority stake in Manchester United to Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Who is Sheikh Abdullah?
The Sheikh has held his current position of power since 2004
The name Sheikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Mualla may not be one familiar to most football fans, but the 52-year-old holds a position of significance in the United Arab Emirates.
Born into Emirate royalty, Abdullah is currently the Deputy Ruler of Umm Al Quwain. The city is the eighth most populated in the region, home to just shy of 45,000 residents, according to the World Population Review. Having completed some of his education in the United Kingdom, the Sheikh became head of the police and public security of Umm Al Quwain in 1997.
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During that period, Abdullah is most known for overseeing the development of a water park, which still stands today. It is described on Tripadvisor as being ‘a dream destination for family fun.’ In 2004, he was given his current role of Deputy Ruler of the city by his father, who passed away in 2009. He now serves his role below his older brother, who was sworn in as the Ruler of Umm Al Quwain in 2009.
One of Sheikh Abdullah’s most recent ventures saw him open a clinic in 2017 alongside his cousin to help people in the area who suffer with dyslexia. Although the Sheikh has not been involved in professional sport before, he may have been acting on behalf of a different Emirati entity. The UAE’s involvement in professional football is widespread, with the Abu Dhabi group owning a collection of football clubs which most notably includes European champions Manchester City.
Levy’s stance on selling Spurs
The current owner is open to anything that benefits the club
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy smiling
The possibility of Levy being open to selling Spurs seems unlikely. Even more unlikely given the investment put into the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, which opened almost five years ago. That doesn’t mean it is impossible though.
Speaking in 2023 (via football.london), Levy admitted that if a serious offer was made to buy the club, he would take it under consideration. He stated that:
“I’ve got no real interest to leave Tottenham, but I have a duty to consider anything that anyone may want to propose.
“It’s not about me, it’s about what’s right for the club. We have 30,000 shareholders who own approximately 13.5 per cent. We run this club as if it is a public company.
“If anyone wants to make serious propositions to the board of Tottenham, we will consider it along with our advisors. And if we felt it was in the interests of the club, we would be open to anything.”
GIVEMESPORT KEY STATISTIC: Daniel Levy is the current longest-serving owner of a Premier League team, having taken over in 2001.
Levy’s refusal to shut down a possible ownership change at the club will only pour more fuel on the fire surrounding the reasons why he met with Sheikh Abdullah.
How Conor Gallagher would look in a Tottenham Hotspur shirt and chairman Daniel Levy smiling
Tottenham ‘would be willing to pay £35m’ for Conor Gallagher
There has been no indication that Sheikh Abdullah wants to buy Tottenham. Should Levy put them up for sale, however, the Premier League club likely won’t have a shortage of offers.
Reports have circulated suggesting that Sheikh Jassim, the man who attempted to oversee the full sale of Manchester United throughout 2023, could return with a bid to buy the London club. The Qatari saw a bid of £5bn turned down by the Glazer family, after which Jassim’s representatives released a statement suggesting that the Americans had no interest in a full sale.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe was instead awarded a minority stake in the club and the INEOS chairman does not believe that Jassim will make an offer for Spurs in the near future.
Another name to have been linked with potentially making a bid for the club is Iranian Jahm Najafi. The chairman of MSP Sports, Najafi has ties in several teams across Europe, including German side FC Augsburg and Portuguese side GD Estoril. He also owns a minority stake in NBA team the Phoenix Suns, and would be willing to spend in excess of £3bn to become the new owner of Tottenham.
