'ASAP' - Tranmere owner piques rapper takeover talk

Tranmere Rovers joint owner Mark Palios has not-so-cryptically said he wants a deal to sell the League Two club concluded "ASAP" - amid speculation rapper A$AP Rocky is set to be part of a takeover.

The 36-year-old boyfriend of pop star Rihanna is reportedly part, external of an investment group, led by celebrity lawyer Joe Tacopina, interested in purchasing an 80% stake in the Birkenhead club.

Former Football Association chief executive Palios, who would not directly confirm the rapper was involved in the takeover during an interview, external with Sky Sports, became Tranmere owner in 2014 alongside his wife Nicola.

Asked if there was a timeframe in which a possible deal needed to be completed, a smiling Palios said: "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."

Several North American celebrities have invested in English Football League and Premier League clubs in recent years, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's ownership of Wrexham the most notable.

NFL legend and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady became a minority owner of Birmingham City last season and former NFL defensive end JJ Watt became a shareholder at Burnley in May 2023, while actor and producer Michael B Jordan invested in Bournemouth at the end of 2022.

American golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook and actor Will Ferrell are also minority stakeholders in Leeds United.

Speaking to Talksport on Tuesday, Palios continued: "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, 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."

Since Palios and his wife bought a controlling interest in Tranmere from former owner Peter Johnson, the club have been relegated to the National League but bounced back to win promotion through to League One.

However, they were relegated back to League Two during the Covid-interrupted 2019-20 season and have remained there since, sitting 16th so far this season.

Palios, 71, made more than 280 appearances in two spells with Tranmere during his playing career.

Tacopina, a 58-year-old lawyer who formerly represented President Donald Trump, has previously been involved in football with several clubs in Italy.

In 2011, he was part of an American consortium that purchased AS Roma and three years later he took over Bologna before moving on to buy Venezia in 2015.

Most recently, he took over as president and owner of Serie C side S.P.A.L.

A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, came to fame as a member of hip hop collective A$AP Mob and has two children with Rihanna.

Tacopina is representing Mayers in an upcoming trial in a case with charges that the rapper fired a pistol in a feud with a former childhood friend.