Nov 13 2011 by Mick Walsh, The People
the mega-rich crown prince of Qatar is back in the market for a Premier League club after giving up on Manchester United.And with £500million to spend, he has fixed his sights on strugglers Everton and Blackburn Rovers.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, heir to the throne of Qatar, had been bidding to buy United.
But he decided that the asking price of around £2billion was too much – with Old Trafford’s controlling Glazer family in no mood to do business.
Now People Sport can reveal that the prince’s representatives, both in Qatar and working with influential figures in England, have been investigating Everton and Blackburn as their latest ‘projects’.
The prince’s company already has a major stake in French outfit Paris Saint-Germain and there are family ties with Spanish side Malaga.
Now he wants a Premier League club to buy and stock with stars.
A top Arab source revealed: “The sheikh had his heart set on Manchester Untied, but now he knows he must go elsewhere and find a club – perhaps to prove a point.
“There is a budget set aside to buy a club, but it has to be right. They want to spend most of the money on players to reach the Champions League.
“This is a plan to get Qatar high profile in the best league in the world.
“Although money is no object, they will not be ripped off.”
United’s loss could be a rival club’s gain as the amount of cash being spoken about could transform a smaller club into top-four contenders – and raise the stakes at the summit of the table.Everton are up for sale at the right price, with interest being shown by the Indian-based Jain Group, but the valuation is putting off Al-Thani.
A leading football power broker has been working on the deal in recent weeks, but it is proving a tough nut to crack because the numbers do not appeal to the Arabs.
Bill Kenwright is looking for around £120m for Everton, although that price is negotiable. The Toffees are carrying debts and there will be a massive bill if the buyer wants to build a new ground.
Instead, bizarrely, Blackburn have emerged as an option – with insiders claiming the Qataris have been to Lancashire and India in the past week.
Rovers were bought by the Venky’s Group a year ago, but the Indians have suffered problems – with results on the field and their image off it.
Face
If the Qataris could buy Rovers at the Venky’s purchase price, and inherit their debt, it would leave an unbelievable amount of cash for new players.
However, sources at Ewood Park claim that not even a whacking profit would make the Rao family walk away now.
They have invested heavily in making Blackburn ‘India’s Premier League club’ and they do not want to lose face.
Word of the potential Qatari investor has flashed around football in the past few days, and agents working for other clubs have been trying frantically to court them to find out if they are interested.
As one senior Premier League official said: “This would be Christmas come early and often for someone.
“The big clubs are either not for sale or just not interested.
“But one of the rest of us could get really lucky and come into a fortune at a time when so many are tightening their belts.”
Football fan Sheikh Tamim managed to get his company’s name on Barcelona’s shirts, a remarkable development.
But United proved outside his grasp, with the Glazers refusing to sit down with him.
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