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Businessman Daniel Kretinsky is in talks to buy a 27% stake in West Ham United – in a deal which would value the club at over £600m – with Czech billionaire already owning large stakes in Royal Mail and Sainsbury’s
- Billionaire Daniel Kretinsky made his money through his Czech energy company
- Kretinsky owns Sparta Prague and has stakes in Royal Mail and Sainsbury’s
- He’s held talks over buying a stake in West Ham, who are valued at over £600m
- West Ham have been owned by David Sullivan and David Gold since 2010
Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has held talks over purchasing a stake in West Ham, in a deal that could spell the beginning of the end of David Sullivan and David Gold’s era of control.
Kretinsky, who is the largest Royal Mail shareholder and the second-biggest at Sainsbury’s, is interested in purchasing a shareholding, said to be at 27 per cent, at the Premier League club in a deal that would value the club at more than £600million.
Sources claim discussions have been ‘ongoing for months rather weeks’ and are reaching a positive conclusion, with confirmation of an agreement possible next month.
Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky is reportedly close to buying a stake in West Ham
West Ham have been owned by David Sullivan (right) and David Gold (left) since 2010
The transaction is said to include an option for Kretinsky to take full control of the Hammers in the future.
That scenario would bring the curtain down on over a decade at the helm of the London club for Sullivan and Gold, who currently own around 86 per cent of West Ham between themselves.
The two British businessmen have been open to selling a stake in the club for a significant period of time and have been approached by a number of interested parties over the past two years – though a number have been put off by the £700million valuation.
Sportsmail exclusively revealed British-based consortium PAI Capital’s attempts to buy Sullivan and Gold’s shares earlier this year – though the club insisted they had not received any formal offers.
West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady also plays a key role in the running of the club
Key midfielder Tomas Soucek is one of three Czech players on the books at West Ham
News of Kretinsky’s potential shareholding at West Ham began to break among other interested parties early on Thursday morning.
Kretinsky, who is known as the ‘Czech Sphinx’, already has some investment in football.
He is already the co-owner and president of Sparta Prague and been has been linked to takeovers at clubs across Europe in the past.
His potential arrival at the London Stadium is likely to be well-received by large sections of the Hammers supporters, who have been vocal in their criticism of the Sullivan and Gold regime.
West Ham were contacted but declined to comment.
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