Brighton’s Bloom tables Hearts bid

Brighton & Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom has made a formal offer of nearly £10m to acquire a 29% non-voting shareholding in Heart of Midlothian.

The potential deal between Bloom and the SPFL football club would not impact the 75.1% voting control currently held by Foundation of Hearts (FoH), the club’s majority shareholder.

FoH has been consulting its members on the proposal, with the consultation period scheduled to end on 26th May.

A vote will take place following an extraordinary general meeting, and the offer will require approval from more than 50% of FoH members. The organisation has recommended that its members accept the terms of the investment.

Under the proposal, Bloom would gain the right to appoint a representative to the club’s board, although he is not expected to take the seat personally. Approval from the Scottish FA would also be required before the investment can proceed.

In communication with its members, FoH has stated that the deal is not linked to Bloom’s interests in Brighton or Union Saint-Gilloise and has clarified that Hearts would remain independent of any multi-club structure.

Hearts have remained competitive in the Scottish Premiership, finishing third in the 2023/24 season, while Bloom’s Brighton have established themselves in the Premier League in recent years, reaching European competition for the first time in 2023.