NEW YORK (AFP) – Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez have recruited three NFL figures as part of their ambitious bid for ownership of the New York Mets baseball franchise, ESPN reported on Monday.
ESPN say that Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, Super Bowl-winner Travis Kelce and former Dallas Cowboys ace DeMarco Murray have joined the Rodriguez-Lopez investor group.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have such high-quality individuals as part of our group,” ESPN quoted Lopez and Rodriguez as saying.
Former New York Yankees legend Rodriguez and pop star Lopez, who are engaged to be married, have submitted a $1.7 billion (1.5 billion euro) bid for the Mets, according to reports.
Hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen, who was close to taking over the team last year before a deal collapsed, has reportedly bid $2 billion for the club.
While Rodriguez and Lopez have reportedly pumped $300 million of their own fortune into the bid, it was not clear how much other investors had contributed.
“Being a former athlete and having a chance to be a part of a group trying to purchase a professional team, it’s pretty cool,” Urlacher told ESPN.
”It’s especially cool to be involved with Alex. Alex is the man.”
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Kelce described the proposed the takeover deal as a ”a crazy opportunity.”
”I had a chance to meet Alex Rodriguez a couple years ago and just told him how much of a fan I was as a kid of him,” Kelce said.
”I’m very thankful for the success that I’ve had in the NFL, to have an opportunity like this come across the table. I couldn’t think of a more unique set of people to be in charge of this.”
