Liverpool and the Glazers at Man United have interfered to put spanner in the works of a West Ham takeover claims an insider.
Last week Hammers News reported that Manchester United fans may despise their Glazer family owners but now West Ham supporters will too.
Well it seems Liverpool’s FSG owners can be added to the mix too with West Ham set to come off worst in a takeover triangle.
Man United fans have opposed the Glazer ownership of Man United from day one.
And while Liverpool have had great success under FSG, many of the Anfield faithful have been critical of the club for failing to compete in the transfer market with the likes of Man City.
West Ham have also had their own trials and tribulations with owners David Sullivan, David Gold and vice-chairman Karren Brady before the arrival of Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky as the club’s second biggest stakeholder last year.
While Man United fans have long yearned for their club to be sold to new owners, Kretinsky had been linked with an eventual full takeover at West Ham.
According to The Daily Mirror, Sir Jim Ratcliffe was also targeting West Ham after a Manchester United takeover was ruled out and he missed out on Chelsea to Todd Boehly’s US consortium.
Last week The Telegraph reported that West Ham-linked Ratcliffe ‘will bid for Manchester United’ instead after the Glazers put the club up for sale.
Liverpool and the Glazers at Man United have interfered to put a spanner in the works of a West Ham takeover claims an insider.
Any hopes of a West Ham takeover are now unlikely as a result of Liverpool and the Red Devils being put up for sale at the same time according to a Hammers insider.
Despite being worth less than a fifth of the £4-5bn valuations placed on Liverpool and Man United, West Ham’s hopes of attracting a buyer anytime soon look bleak says Sean Whetstone on 6foot2.
“While the West Ham shareholders will be free of any windfall tax from March 2023 the chance of attracting a new buyer immediately seems unlikely,” Whetstone told 6foot2.
“Earlier this month football finance expert Kieran Maguire valued West Ham between £700m and £800m.
“Twenty-seven percent Hammers shareholder Daniel Kretinsky is a long-term minority shareholder of a number of companies including Sparta Prague. It is highly likely he will increase his shareholding next year but not more than 49% of the total shares available.”
It is a hugely frustrating situation for Hammers fans. West Ham’s supporters have been fiercely loyal during a barren 43 years and deserve their day in the sun.
West Ham clearly need further and regular major investment in the playing squad to have any hope of competing for the top six and to improve the stadium and training ground in the medium to long term.
But Man United and Liverpool being on the market seems to have dealt a major blow to any hopes of luring an ambitious buyer to east London – even though West Ham are a relative bargain by comparison.