Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Gulf Air-sponsored Queens Park Rangers, favourites for promotion to the English Premier League, are holding discussions to sell a majority stake to an undisclosed potential buyer.
The club's unbeaten run now stands at 11 league games as they surge towards joining Manchester United, Chelsea and the other big guns of English football.
The West London club, majority-owned by Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone, have an eight-point lead at the top of the Championship, English football's second tier, and are aiming for a return to the top flight for the first time since 1996.
British newspapers have suggested that a group of American and Asian businessmen were interested in taking the stake in the team. Preliminary agreements have been signed and due diligence is taking place. An agreement could be reached by next week. A source said: "They're very serious and have the funds to back them in the Premiership."
The club said in a statement: "In response to recent press speculation relating to the potential sale of a 67 per cent shareholding in QPR Holdings Limited (the 'Company'), the Company confirms that it has entered into preliminary discussions, which may or may not result in an offer being made."
Ecclestone owns around 62 per cent of the shares after buying out his friend Flavio Briatore, the former Renault F1 team boss in December, with Indian steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal the other major shareholder.
It was unclear in the club's statement on their website (www.qpr.co.uk) whose shares were being sold but the BBC quoted vice-chairman Amit Bhatia, Mittal's son-in-law, as saying his family was not selling its shares.
"My family and I would like to make clear that we are not part of these negotiations to sell our shares," he was quoted as saying.
The club said talks were at an early stage and that there was 'no certainty' that an offer would be forthcoming.
Similarly, it is not certain that Gulf Air will sign up for a new deal as the club's major shirt sponsors at the end of its current contract, which finishes at the end of this season.
The kingdom's current crisis may have put paid to that as Gulf Air's surge towards profitability has taken a massive blow from the cancellation of this season's Formula One opening race and a staggering rise in fuel prices as a result of unrest throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
It is thought that its management is keen to continue the relationship now that the football club is so close to offering global TV exposure to the national carrier alongside Etihad Airways-sponsored Manchester City and Emirates-backed Arsenal but a multi-million pound asking price may prove too big an obstacle - on both the financial and political fronts - under the present circumstances.
