By George Overhill

6th Nov, 2023 | 6:14pm

West Brom takeover news: 'Interesting' verdict issued on rumoured NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and billionaire Clark Hunt deal

Chris Lepkowski has issued an “interesting” reaction to the rumour that West Brom are to be taken over by billionaire Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt and the team’s MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes this week.

The former Birmingham Mail journalist responded on Twitter on 5 November to a claim that the superstar player and part of the prominent Hunt family are “incoming” at The Hawthorns.

Hunt is part-owner of the NFL franchise who are reigning Super Bowl champions, having defeated the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this year, after which Forbes (12 February) estimated the family to be worth $20.5billion [£16.5billion].

Mahomes is a two-time league MVP and in September restructured his 10-year $450m contract [£363m], signed in 2020, to make him the NFL’s highest paid player over the next four seasons [Sky Sports, 18 September].

Lepkowski has also separately reported via the Liquidator podcast on 5 November that two parties are “very much involved” in talks to buy the Baggies, with one “extremely serious”.

Could it be?

It would be an extremely high-profile development if the claim on Hunt and Mahomes were to be accurate, so for there to be so little talk of it more widely means it surely has to be a doubt.

There is no shortage of American ownership in English football currently, and the crossover between the NFL and clubs this side of the Atlantic continues to grow.

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan is in charge at Fulham, while the Los Angeles Rams’ Stan Kroenke controls Arsenal, and the San Francisco 49ers’ investment arm became 100% owners at Leeds United in the summer.

Given the unpopularity of current majority shareholder Guochuan Lai there is already substantial backing among the fanbase for any buy-out to go ahead as soon as possible.

Whether that can feasibly be this week is probably unlikely, and the Hunt-Mahomes rumour may just be speculation, but it will soon become clear whether the claim, or at least the first part of it, is accurate.

Clark Hunt is also co-owner of FC Dallas in MLS along with his brother Dan and given the star power that would come from the star quarterback’s potential involvement it is likely to be a popular prospect.

Lepkowski didn’t dismiss the idea out of hand, but without far more information it is likely, at this stage, that the interested parties are probably lesser known individuals.

In other West Brom news, the club have been tipped to receive a “huge boost” on the proposed takeover after a timeline was mooted.