West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan is facing a test of comments he made back in 2016 about selling the club.
Sullivan and fellow co-owner David Gold are under huge pressure to sell West Ham.
Supporters have been protesting against their ownership and the relationship between the board and fans looks beyond repair.
But Gold recently told talkSPORT they have no intention of selling up.
New takeover talk emerges
Football Insider and Claret & Hugh are today claiming that the Saudi Arabian-backed consortium that has been in talks to buy Newcastle United may switch attention to taking over West Ham.
“The Gulf Nation’s sovereign wealth fund have held detailed discussions over the last month about buying Newcastle for £340million but no deal has been agreed,” Football Insider said.
“City sources have told Football Insider there are growing whispers the Saudi group could target a sensational takeover of West Ham instead.”
If true, Sullivan faces a stern test of a pledge he made back in 2016 (whufc.com) about only selling West Ham to Saudi royalty.
Sullivan faces test of 2016 pledge
Because at the head of the Saudi consortium sits Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has a reported wealth topping the trillion pound mark (The Sun).
“We did have a tentative approach to buy the club for £650m from external investors in August this year,” Sullivan told West Ham’s official website back in 2016.
“But I want to reiterate that we, the current owners, have no desire to sell the club unless it is to somebody like the King of Saudi Arabia who can take it to a level we cannot ourselves hope to reach.”
Has the time arrived?
Well that time may well have arrived if the new claims are accurate.
The only problem for West Ham is the looming threat of relegation.
If David Moyes does not turn things around it would surely be highly unlikely any such takeover will happen.