Shahid Khan... the prospective new Fulham owner

Shahid Khan’s first attempt to break into sport was thwarted by Stan Kroenke, but he has not been deterred and he certainly eclipses Arsenal’s American owner when it comes to charisma and facial hair.
 
Khan’s plans to buy St Louis Rams were dashed by Kroenke in 2010 but he satisfied the urge to own an NFL gridiron team when he bought the Jacksonville Jaguars for around £500million nearly two years later.

It was a swift and clean takeover, which bodes well for his effort to track Kroenke across the Atlantic to London and the Barclays Premier League with an attempt to buy Fulham from Mohamed Al Fayed.

Charismatic: Shahid Khan could be a suitable successor to Mohamed Al Fayed

If he succeeds, English football can welcome a colourful billionaire. He was born in Lahore in Pakistan and educated in the USA and made his fortune in car parts before the man known as ‘Shad’ and his handlebar moustache stormed into sport to complete the ‘American Dream’ storyline.
 
When buying the Jaguars he made a verbal commitment to fans to keep the team in Florida, but was not afraid to act when his first year at the helm produced only two wins from 16 games. Khan dismissed both the general manager and head coach. Beware manager Martin Jol and chief executive Alistair Mackintosh.

His son Tony has since joined the operations team, responsible for a data-led team-building process although at pains to stress it is not a ‘Moneyball’ system.

Under threat? Martin Jol's and Alistair Mackintosh's positions could become uncertain

Despite poor displays on the pitch, Khan has proved a popular owner fully aware he is the face of one of the sport’s weaker franchises. He is determined to lead an unashamed brand expansion which includes stadium improvements and a deal to play games in London at Wembley.
 
‘We want to be part of the fabric of sport in London,’ said Khan, keen to tap into the English connection to the Sunshine State. ‘The English love an underdog and we will definitely be playing that role.’
Fulham, too, may find it has a part in this plan.