Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan bought the English soccer club Fulham on Friday, becoming the sixth American owner in the Premier League.
The deal between previous owner Mohamed Al Fayed and Khan for the sale of the London club was completed and approved by the Premier League. Financial details were not disclosed.
"Fulham is the perfect club at the perfect time for me," Khan said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. "I want to be clear, I do not view myself so much as the owner of Fulham, but a custodian of the club on behalf of its fans. My priority is to ensure the club and Craven Cottage each have a viable and sustainable Premier League future that fans of present and future generations can be proud of.
"We will manage the club's financial and operational affairs with prudence and care, with youth development and community programs as fundamentally important elements of Fulham's future."
Al Fayed, an Egyptian businessman, has owned Fulham since 1997 and is leaving the club debt-free as they prepare for a 13th Premier League season.
Manchester United (Glazer family), Arsenal (Stan Kroenke), Liverpool (John Henry), Aston Villa (Randy Lerner) and Sunderland (Ellis Short) also are controlled by American owners.
The sale comes with Khan's Jaguars preparing to play NFL regular-season games in London.
The Jaguars have a deal to play one home game in London for four consecutive seasons starting in October at Wembley Stadium against the San Francisco 49ers.
Khan, who owns Flex-N-Gate Corporation, a leading American automotive supplier, moved to the U.S from his native Pakistan as a 16-year-old in 1967.
Al Fayed, 84, is also the former owner of Harrods department store.
