Tottenham ‘don’t have any special rights’ in US as ‘blockbuster’ deal discussed
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has suggested Tottenham would not be at the top of the list to play abroad if the Premier League made a big international play.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – insisted Spurs haven’t accrued any “special rights” despite their hosting of NFL games in London.
Liverpool chairman Tom Werner insisted he is “determined one day to have a Premier League game be played in New York City” in an interview with the Financial Times during the off-season (7 June).
Meanwhile, TBR Football has claimed (15 November) that “privately, many big-name clubs want to take their matches outside their traditional locale”.
The Premier League have held pre-season games in the US in recent years as part of a “Summer Series”, but Tottenham are yet to be involved.
Spurs have a deal with the NFL to host two games per year at their state-of-the-art stadium until 2029.
Tottenham could be denied the opportunity to play in the US in new blow, says Wyness
However, speaking on the prospect of Premier League games heading across the pond, Wyness told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “I don’t think Spurs would have any special rights just because of the NFL situation.
“It would be a Premier League decision if games were taken abroad.
“I don’t think it would just be one fixture going abroad, either. There would be a lot of thought going into the fixtures and teams chosen.
“I don’t think there is any great allegiance to Spurs in the US because the NFL games have been held there.
“I was part of the group who tried to bring a 39th game abroad before, I supported that back in 2007.
“I believed in the idea of having five or six international fixtures on one weekend in different timezones.
“There could be one weekend to showcase the Premier League globally – it would be a blockbuster for them.
“I still think it has to be thought about.”
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