Spurs believe Shahid Khan's Wembley bid will boost their quest to host NFL matches
Tottenham Hotspur are optimistic that Shahid Khan’s bid to buy Wembley could enhance their own agreement to host NFL games at their new stadium.
Fulham owner Khan, who also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars, has made a bid worth £900million to buy Wembley from the Football Association and plans to stage NFL games at the national stadium.
That sparked fears among Tottenham fans that Khan could effectively hijack their club’s bid to cash in on the NFL’s desire to stage more games in England.
But Spurs already have an agreement in place for 20 NFL games to be staged at their new £800m stadium over 10 years, with the first due to take place on October 14 when the Oakland Raiders face the Seattle Seahawks.
Tottenham’s new stadium will feature a retractable surface for NFL games, which is also multi-use and will host concerts and other events.
Rather than fearing Khan’s Wembley bid could be bad for their own aspirations to tap into the NFL market, Tottenham hope it could enhance them.
Two London venues could raise the profile of the NFL in this country and prompt more interest from America in games staged in England even further.
It also opens up the possibility of a number of NFL teams coming over to England at once and playing a number of games between Wembley and Tottenham’s stadium – something that would be attractive to sponsors.
Tottenham have been given another month to finalise their football fixture plans for next season as work continues to complete the stadium.
It is expected that Spurs will play their first four Premier League matches away from home to allow the finishing touches to be made ahead of moving in.
The Premier League ideally want to know Tottenham’s plans after the Championship play-off on May 26.
