Jay-Z will make ‘audacious bid’ to buy Tottenham ‘quickly’ if Joe Lewis does not ‘walk away free’

Music legend Jay-Z is reportedly plotting a move to buy Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur as he waits to learn the fate of current owner Joe Lewis.

British billionaire Lewis – whose family trust owns Tottenham – was this week bailed by a judge in New York after pleading not guilty to charges of giving insider trading tips.

The 86-year-old, who faces 16 counts of securities fraud and three counts of conspiracy, appeared at an arraignment hearing at Manhattan Federal Court on Wednesday.

After entering a not guilty plea Lewis was released on a bail of 300 million US dollars (£230m), reportedly secured by a yacht and private aircraft equivalent to that amount.

Lewis, and two of his pilots who are also facing charges, must remain in the United States.

And with this going on, music mogul Jay-Z has decided he wants to give himself a 100th problem by acquiring Tottenham if Lewis is convicted of fraud and insider trading.

This has been reported by Daily Express US, who reckon Jay-Z is ‘preparing an audacious bid’ to buy the London giants.

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Forbes say he is worth $2.5billion and ‘leads a group of American investors’ who think they will be able to afford the Premier League club.

A ‘close business associate’ to Jay-Z said: “More than a few of the very top clubs there – like Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea – are now under US ownership and Jay would jump at the chance of a controlling interest at board level somewhere with the global reach of Spurs.

“It remains to be seen whether Mr. Lewis will walk away free. If he doesn’t, Jay has said he wants to be in a position to move quickly if he feels the price is right.

“He believes this is achievable, especially with the backing of fellow investors.”

Prosecutors say Lewis is alleged to have used his access to confidential information to provide stock tips to individuals close to him, with the indictment referring to one girlfriend having made $849,000 (£657,000) on one of those tip-offs.

Lewis’ legal counsel David Zornow, from the Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom firm, said: “The government has made an egregious error in judgment in charging Mr Lewis, an 86-year-old man of impeccable integrity and prodigious accomplishment.

“Mr Lewis has come to the US voluntarily to answer these ill-conceived charges, and we will defend him vigorously in court.”

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