American Wants To Buy Wembley Stadium

The FA has confirmed it is in talks with Shahid Khan – the owner of Fulham FC and NFL side the Jacksonville Jaguars – over the sale of Wembley Stadium for a reported £800m.

It is understood Khan’s purchase of Wembley would see the England national team being forced to play games away from the stadium, notably in the autumn.

The NFL regular season begins on September 7, with pre-season matches beginning at the start of August. However, it is understood the FA would still consider Wembley as the ‘home’ of the national team.

Due diligence is believed to now be underway on a deal that could see the creation of the first ever NFL franchise outside of the USA.

The NFL said: “We are very happy for Shad Khan and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The potential purchase of Wembley Stadium is a further powerful sign of their commitment to the UK and their vision to help us grow the sport.”

They also confirmed the potential purchase of Wembley would not affect the deal they have in place with Tottenham to stage NFL games at their new ground.

The NFL explained: “Having stadium options in London has always been critical to the NFL and, in tandem with our 10-year partnership with Tottenham Hotspur, this new relationship would allow for even greater flexibility in scheduling future NFL games in London.”

Khan also released a statement, saying: “The games the Jaguars play at Wembley are essential to the financial stability of the Jaguars in Jacksonville, which is one of the smallest markets in the NFL.