Elie Taktouk who lost his wife to Cesc Fabregas now loses family home to footballer

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Elie Taktouk's ex-wife, Daniella Semaan, gave birth to Fabregas' baby in April
His Belgravia flat had been ordered for sale as part of divorce proceedings
Sale was to provide money for Miss Semaan to buy her own home
Mr Taktouk learned it was multi-millionaire Fabregas who had made an offer
Tycoon tried to block sale claiming offer was £2m less than its true value
Court of Appeal hearing threw out Mr Taktouk's application to block the sale

Published: 01:52 EST, 1 August 2013 | Updated: 10:50 EST, 26 November 2014

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A property tycoon who lost his glamorous wife to Manchester United target Cesc Fabregas has now lost the former family home too after a judge refused to halt its £5.475million sale to the footballer.

Elie Taktouk, 38, whose former wife, Daniella Semaan, gave birth to Fabregas' baby in April, tried to block the sale on the basis that the Barcelona star's offer was £2m less than its true value.

The Grade-II listed Belgravia flat, just yards from Buckingham Palace, had been ordered for sale as part of divorce proceedings, in order to provide money for Miss Semaan to buy her own home.

But in an 'extraordinary' twist, Mr Taktouk soon learned it was her new boyfriend, the multi-millionaire footballer, who had put an offer on the table within three weeks of the flat going on the market.

After the sale to Fabregas was approved by the High Court, Mr Taktouk launched a last-ditch bid for time to look for a bid closer to his £7.5m valuation of the apartment, where his ex was still living.

But after a Court of Appeal hearing, the footballer and his Lebanese girlfriend ran out winners when Lord Justice Floyd threw out Mr Taktouk's application to block the sale to the former Arsenal captain.

Miss Semaan's claimed - in a witness statement read out by the judge - that, if she stays in London, she will not even be able to live in the flat when it is signed over to her boyfriend.

Quoting 38-year-old Miss Semaan, who the court heard hopes to move to Spain, the judge said: 'Once the former matrimonial home is sold, I will have no accommodation in London.

Mr Taktouk said Fabregas (left), with Miss Semaan, paid £2million less for the Belgravia flat than it is worth

A view of the central London street where the flat at the centre of the dispute is situated. Miss Semaan said she will not be able to live in the flat after it is sold to Fabregas as he will rent it out

'If the property is sold to Mr Fabregas, it is my understanding that it will be used as an investment and rented out in order to cover the cost of the purchase, and/or generate some income.'

After the divorce proceedings, the sale of the couple's flat was put into Miss Semaan's hands by the High Court and the £5.475m sale to Fabregas was agreed, Lord Justice Floyd said.

But, on appeal, Mr Taktouk's barrister, Stephen Lyon, argued that there was clear evidence of several other interested parties, who were willing to pay much more but have been unable to view the flat while she is in it.

'There's credible prima facie evidence that this property can sell, and sell quickly, for a sum in the region of £7.5 million,' he said.

'There are five parties, all of whom have had absolutely no connection with the husband or his family, who have expressed interest in purchasing this property at £7.5m and all of whom have requested access for viewings, and all of whom are described by the proposed agents as being serious offers.'

But, rejecting his case, the appeal judge said encouraging more offers would be a breach of the contract of sale already agreed with Fabregas, and that, while unsold, the £4.8 million mortgage is accruing interest of £1,000-a-day.

Mr Taktouk previously objected to having to shell out for a home for his ex-wife as her new boyfriend Cesc Fabregas, who is thought to earn £5m-a-year, has millions to lavish on her

Mr Taktouk had not objected to a sale of the flat to his mother, Mary Taktouk, for a price similar to that being offered by the footballer, he continued.

'The strongest point which Mr Lyon makes is that the judge appeared at times to proceed on the basis that the necessary consequence of allowing the sale of the flat to Mr Fabregas will be that the family could remain in the flat,' he continued.

'The passage I have read from the wife's statement could be read as suggesting that there is, in fact, no prospect of that solution being the case.

'I am by no means convinced that that is the position. If the sale goes through to Mr Fabregas, there will be a real possibility that the children will remain in the flat, in their home, and that remains a powerful factor in favour of allowing the sale to go ahead.'

He rejected Mr Taktouk's application for a stay on the sale, meaning it can now go ahead.

Mr Taktouk and his ex-wife married when they were 24 and living in Lebanon. They had two children before their separation in 2011, months after Miss Semaan was seen on holiday with the 25-year-old footballer.

Mr Taktouk had previously objected to having to shell out for a home for his ex-wife in circumstances where her new boyfriend, who is thought to earn £5m-a-year, has millions to lavish on her.

In a court hearing in April, he claimed she had significantly under-stated the financial support she would get from Fabregas. She said his only obligation was to support their child and all she got was the price of flights, presents and being looked after when she is in Spain.

Her evidence led family judge, Mr Justice Coleridge, to rule that the flat be sold. The proceeds, with a top-up from Mr Taktouk, would provide her with the £1.4m she needed to find a home of her own.