A$AP Rocky ‘set to buy’ English football club in shock move

Following in the footsteps of Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds

Rapper A$AP Rocky is rumoured to be interested in buying EFL club Tranmere Rovers according to reports.

Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers is in a relationship with pop-superstar Rihanna and the pair share two children – two-year-old RZA and 15-month-old Riot Rose.

The 36-year-old is apparently part of an investment group headed by celebrity lawyer Joe Tacopina.

Tacopina, who formerly represented ex-president Donald Trump, has been in talks with the League Two side for over six months over an 80 per cent stake worth £15million, according to reports.

A source told The Sun: “Rocky is tight with Joe and has committed to the Tranmere bid. Joe has been to Tranmere matches and Rocky has plans to go over too after the deal is completed.

“We may even see Rihanna watching League Two football.”

The takeover is awaiting regulatory approval from the EFL but reports have claimed that a documentary in the style of the critically-acclaimed ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ could also be on the cards.

The hugely successful Disney+ show documented  the journey of Hollywood duo Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds as they bought Welsh side Wrexham and helped steer them to promotion to League One.

Tacopina believes Tranmere is undervalued and could benefit from similar celebrity endorsement to Wrexham’s.

The source said: “Joe thinks Tranmere - a famous club, near to Liverpool - is undervalued and that by clever marketing and celebrity endorsement he can transform it. With the likes of Rocky on board, maybe so.”

Tacopina is known for having owned football clubs in Italy. He was a part of the US group that bought Roma in 2011 before he sold up and bought Bologna three years later.

A year later he bought Venezia and took them from the fourth tier to the second division before being knighted by the city. 

He bought his fourth Italian side SPAL in 2021. SPAL were relegated to the third-tier last season and hit with a three point deduction for missing a tax payment in January and February this year.