Excitement was sparked among West Ham fans this weekend when news emerged the club could be subject to an ambitious takeover.
West Ham are no strangers to takeover rumours in recent years.
There has been talk of US, Saudi Arabian and Qatari interest at different times.
Especially since the passing of co-owner David Gold.
West Ham have seen huge progress on and off the pitch in recent years.
The club broke it’s record Premier League points total and secured European football three years in a row for the first time in its 129-year history.
The Hammers then won their first major trophy for 43 years last summer.
Off the pitch, West Ham are one of only 16 elite clubs named in UEFA’s 1 million gang.
The Irons are also in the top 18 most lucrative football clubs around.
West Ham are the fifth highest spenders in the Premier League over the last two years.
Despite all of that, there is a niggling feeling among supporters that the club is capable of achieving even more.
It’s not just fans who believe that.
Ray Parlour recently urged David Sullivan to sell up at West Ham.
Yet more West Ham takeover rumours emerge
The pundit, a childhood Hammer, believes a new owner could help the club reach its potential as a top four giant.
In the wake of Parlour’s call for West Ham to be sold, former Aston Villa CEO Keith Wyness claimed on a podcast that West Ham were the next club on the rank set for a full takeover.
Wyness even suggested talks about a takeover were already taking place.
West Ham’s top brass denied those claims and said they were ‘unsettling players and staff’.
No sooner had those claims been denied, though, than a new one started circulating.
Now the truth has emerged after claims that a £13bn man is set to launch a full West Ham takeover.
Mick Brown, who worked as a senior scout at West Ham until David Moyes’ departure in the summer, claimed Daniel Kretinsky is very much planning to buy Sullivan and co out.
Kretinsky, who bought 27 per cent of West Ham for £150m in 2021, has seen his net worth double to £13bn in the last year.
That saw the Hammers leapfrog Aston Villa and Man City to have the third richest ownership in the Premier League.
Brown’s claim stirred excitement among some West Ham fans.
Truth over claims £13bn man wants West Ham takeover
But Sean Whetstone, who counts both Sullivan among his sources, says the story simply is not true.
“A senior club insider has denied a new West Ham takeover article made by an ex-West Ham employee,” Whetstone said on X.
“Former Hammers scout Mick Brown is quoted as saying West Ham joint Chairman David Sullivan is unhappy with his position at the club and that a full takeover by Daniel Kretinksy and his Czech partners is still very much on the cards.
“The senior club source this afternoon claims the former scout in question has never talked to David Sullivan and the story is untrue. Although Jack Sullivan recently confirmed that Daniel Kretinsky interviewed Tim Steidten before his appointment the Czech business billionaire takes a completely hands-off approach at West Ham, as he is chairman of Sparta Prague and wants to avoid any claims of influence should Sparta Prague and West Ham find themselves in the same European competition.
“Kretinsky owns over one hundred businesses and focuses most of his time on those including the takeover of Royal Mail. He has appointed his trusted advisors to West Ham boards to look after his investment.”
Last year football finance expert Kieran Maguire spoke to Hammers News about Kretinsky.
The Price of Football author revealed Kretinsky had no plans for a full takeover at West Ham.
Not only would that raise difficulties with UEFA given the Czech Sphinx owns Sparta Prague.
But Kretinsky confirmed in a rare TV interview back in June that while increasing his stake in West Ham is of interest to him, he has no designs on full ownership.
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