Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan places offer to buy Wembley Stadium

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan has placed an offer to purchase Wembley Stadium, England's premier soccer field and the home of several NFL international games.

Khan insisted that his purpose for the potential transaction is not to send the Jaguars to London, rather to strengthen the franchise. Khan also owns the Fulham Football Club.

"The Jaguars have played regular season home games at Wembley Stadium in each of the past five NFL seasons and will continue to do so at least through the 2020 season," Khan said in a statement.

"The games the Jaguars play at Wembley are essential to the financial stability of the Jaguars in Jacksonville, which is one of the smallest markets in the NFL. If my ownership interests were to include Wembley Stadium, it would protect the Jaguars' position in London at a time when other NFL teams are understandably becoming more interested in this great city. And the stronger the Jaguars are in London, the more stable and promising the Jaguars' future will be in Jacksonville."

The Evening Standard reported Khan offered more than 500 million pounds (about $700 million) for the stadium.

The Jaguars have a deal in place to play at Wembley Stadium through the 2020 season.

"Today's news changes none of what we envision for the long-term promise for the Jaguars here in Jax, and it changes nothing as to the goals we have for your downtown," Khan said. "If anything, today's news is the embodiment of the ethos we adopted several years ago of being proud, bold and committed."