Tranmere Rovers joint owner Mark Palios says he wants a deal to sell the club to be concluded ‘ASAP’, fuelling speculation that rapper A$AP Rocky is set to be part of the takeover.
A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers and is dating pop superstar Rihanna, has been rumoured to be part of an investment group interested in buying the League Two side.
Celebrity lawyer Joe Tacopina is leading the group, who are thought to be eyeing an 80% investment in the Birkenhead outfit.
Former FA chief Palios, who bought the club in 2014, would not confirm whether the rapper, 36, was involved in the takeover during an interview with Sky Sports.
But when asked what timeframe he would like to wrap up a deal for Tranmere’s new owners, he said with a smile on his face: “ASAP.”
He also said: “It’s been no secret over the past two years that we’ve been trying to attract investment into the club, although we’re not formally for sale.
“That’s been part of the strategy we’ve adopted as we guide the club onto the next stage.
“While I’m not confirming that A$AP Rocky is part of a consortium one way or the other, there are a number of people out there.”
Tranmere Rovers joint owner Mark Palios has not-so-cryptically said he wants a deal to sell the League Two club concluded “ASAP” 👀#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/pCxsk5f2dM
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) October 22, 2024
‘US market is very attractive’
Should a deal materialise, Mayers’ investment would follow a trend of North American celebrity investors in British football teams, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s takeover of Wrexham the most notable.
NFL legend Tom Brady purchased a minority stake in Birmingham City last year, with fellow former NFL star JJ Watt a shareholder of Burnley and actor Michael B. Jordan part of Bournemouth’s ownership group.
Speaking to Talksport on Tuesday, Palios added: “At the moment, if you’re looking at that particular group of people, the US market is very attractive.
“You’ve got the example of Wrexham recently, you’ve got the World Cup coming up there [in 2026], you’ve got 85 million Americans watch English football.
“There’s actually a gap in the market which just happens to coincide with where we are in terms of development and taking it to the next stage.”
