The Times deputy football correspondent Matt Hughes claims in his ‘Football Notebook’ column this morning that Shahid Khan is giving ‘serious consideration’ to selling Fulham.
Hughes, a well-connected football correspondent of many years standing, suggests that the decision to rebuff interest from across Europe in both Ryan Sessegnon and his twin brother Steven was influenced by the fact that Khan, who bought Fulham from Mohamed Al-Fayed in 2013, is open to offers for the club. He claims that the search for a new owner was put on hold as Slavisa Jokanovic’s side reached the Championship play-offs last season but ‘Khan remains interested in selling’.
Hughes’ full column is behind the Times paywall, but the relevant Fulham section reads as follows:
Fulham’s determination to keep hold of the highly-rated Sessegnon twins – Ryan and Steven – is being influenced by owner Shahid Khan giving serious consideration to selling the club. The American billionaire let it be known he would be interested in a sale towards the end of last season when Slavisa Jokanovic’s side were in contention for promotion to the Premier League, but the search for a buyer was put on hold following their Championship play-off semi-final defeat by Reading. Khan remains interested in selling, however, and is determined to retain the club’s most valuable playing assets in the interim. Tottenham Hotspur had a £25 million bid rejected for Ryan Sessegnon last week, while they are also keen on his 17 year-old brother Steven.
Fulham and Khan’s representatives have strongly denied that the American billionaire, who also owns the NFL franchise Jackonsville Jaguars, is ready to part with the club pointing to the increased role of his son, Tony, who became the club’s vice chairman and director of football operations last season.
