After the successful takeover of French steel company Arcelor, world’s richest Indian Laxmi Mittal is eyeing another grand acquisition — this time in the field of sports.

Mittal has emerged as a contender to buy English Premiership football club Birmingham City after making an initial inquiry, The Daily Telegraph reported here today.

The 56-year-old Mittal, at £19.25 billion, is twice as rich as Roman Abramovich, the Russian owner of Chelsea. He is, however, yet to follow up on his preliminary inquiry, the newspaper said.

Besides Mittal, a London-based NRI, another unnamed business magnate from the Far East was also said to be interested in the club and was likely to make a formal bid later this week.

David Sullivan and David and Ralph Gold, owners of Birmingham City, who caused a flutter by getting promoted to the top league of the competition, were looking to sell the club and would be glad to finish a speedy handover.

Besides Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are the other English Premiership clubs that have been bought over by business tycoons in recent years.

SOME CITY FACTS

• Birmingham City were founded in 1875 and was known as Small Heath Alliance by a group of cricketers belonging to Holy Church in Bordesley Green.

• Turned professional in 1885

• Joined the Football League in 1892 as the founder members of the Football League Second Division.

• In 1905, a proposal was made to rename the club Birmingham City F.C., as they were the only Football League club in the city since Birmingham St George’s folded up in 1892. But with shareholdes not in favour, they were called Birmingham Football Club and moved to St Andrews, their home, a year later.

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