Sugar sets his price

The Tottenham chairman, Sir Alan Sugar, has told David Sullivan that he will have to come up with £70m if he wants to take control of the White Hart Lane club.

The Tottenham chairman, Sir Alan Sugar, has told David Sullivan that he will have to come up with £70m if he wants to take control of the White Hart Lane club.

Sullivan, who has made a fortune through his pornography and newspaper empire, wants to buy a stake in the north London club and one day take control. He owns 40 per cent of Birmingham's shares.

In a statement Sugar said: "If he has some real money, and I don't mean arrange bank loans to put the club in debt but something like the £70m some say we need to build up a championship-winning side, then he should come to the board."

Spurs' share price is 60p a share, but Sugar said if Sullivan wants a new share issue he will have to pay more than double that price.

"He can forget about bargain basement prices," said Sugar. "If he does this, he'll get control of Spurs and he'll be able to boast that Birmingham has a Premiership nursery club."