US-Saudi Multi-Millionaire Opens Talks With English Football Club
A US-born Saudi businessman has opened talks over investing in a prominent English football club.
American investment has flooded into the English game in recent seasons, particularly lower down the EFL pyramid, with consortiums and wealthy individuals keen to exploit the huge riches on offer from getting a club into the Premier League.
The Athletic noted in May 2025 that 23 of the 72 clubs in the EFL were under American ownership.
Many have been inspired by the success of Ryan Reynolds - who is Canadian-American - and Rob Mac at Wrexham, with the Red Dragons rising from the fifth tier to being on the cusp of the Premier League in just five years.
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Achieving promotion to the Premier League is an ambition that is still yet to be achieved by fellow Championship club Preston North End, who haven't played in the top flight since 1961.
North End were the first 'Invincibles' of English football, going unbeaten on their way to winning the 1888/89 league title. They also lifted the FA Cup.
The club would switch between the Second and Third Divisions (now Championship and League One) for much of the next two decades, but dropped as far as the Fourth Division in 1985.
Under the current system, North End would have dropped out of the Football League for the first time in their history after finishing 23rd in 1985/86, but were re-elected to the Fourth Division in an era where member clubs decided whether teams could be admitted to the Football League from non-league.
They slowly climbed back up the pyramid from there onwards, with David Moyes guiding them back to the Championship.
They reached the play-off final in 2001, losing 3-0 to Sam Allardyce's Bolton, before another play-off final in 2005 under Billy Davies resulted in a 1-0 defeat to West Ham.
North End have never finished in the top six during their current 11-year stay in the Championship. They have spent the majority of this season inside the top six but dropped out following a 4-0 defeat to Middlesbrough on Saturday.
The Athletic recently declared them as 'the hardest club to support in England' alongside Bristol Rovers and Darlington.
Is that verdict the right one? Most PNE fans would probably argue no, given that North End are a stable second-tier club and have had their share of ups, including a memorable play-off final victory at Wembley in 2015.
The club is situated within a major UK city, has excellent relationships with a number of Premier League clubs and, crucially, its home stadium of Deepdale can be expanded once promotion is secured.
All those factors are perhaps what was attracted a multi-millionaire businessman to Preston.
The club was taken over by billionaire property developer and racehorse owner Trevor Hemmings in 2011, with his family taking over day-to-day running after his death at the age of 86 in 2021.
Last year, his son Craig announced that the ownership would be 'proactive' in looking to find potential new investors or custodians of the club', having engaged with private banking company Rothschild & Co.
Sky News' City editor Mark Kleinman reported on Saturday that North End had held talks with US-born Saudi businessman Amr Zedan, who submitted interest in taking over Chelsea from Roman Abramovich in 2022.
He owns Saudi engineering conglomerate Zedan Group, and has prominent official roles in overseeing polo and equestrian in the Gulf state.
Zedan, who has a reported net worth of over £300 million, also owns several racehorses. His stable, Zedan Racing, has won three Grade 1 races.
On Monday, North End took the unusual step of publicly confirming the identity of Zedan as an interested party in a club statement.
Chairman Ian Penrose stated: "We have commenced discussions with a number of parties from around the world who have expressed an interest in acquiring Preston North End.
"This process is in its early stages and is ongoing, as we continue to receive new approaches.
"I can confirm that we have had discussions with the US-born Saudi businessman Amr Zedan, who we respect highly.
"Mr Zedan is one of a number of successful individuals or organisations that have made enquiries about the club. Specific comments on any approach are inappropriate at this stage.
"Whilst such a transaction can take months to conclude, and there is no certainty that a successful outcome will be achieved, it is the Board's intention to conclude these negotiations at the earliest opportunity."
Topics: United States, Saudi Arabia, EFL Championship, Football, Preston North End
Ryan Smart