Comments made by Daniel Kretinsky two years ago about a full West Ham takeover have been given new relevance as the landscape changes at the club, offering fresh hope to fans.
Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has been linked with a full West Ham takeover ever since he bought a 27 per cent stake in the club back in November 2021.
Worth an estimated £13bn, Kretinsky certainly has the financial wherewithal to buy out David Sullivan and co.
But on the very rare occasion where the secretive ‘Czech Sphinx’ has discussed the Hammers since his arrival, he has played down that prospect.
West Ham landscape has changed since Kretinsky’s takeover comments in 2024
However, now the landscape at the club has changed completely and a finance expert has made a new claim about Kretinsky, it means comments he made about a West Ham buyout two years ago suddenly offer fresh hope.
Fan protests have focused primarily on forcing Sullivan and Karren Brady out of the club.
Good idea or is all hope for an atmosphere lost anyway?
But Kretinsky has come in for criticism too having remained in the shadows while West Ham regress on and off the pitch, culminating in club record £104m losses in the latest accounts.
Despite incessant rumours of interest in a West Ham takeover from the US and Middle East, none of it has come to fruition.
So supporters were given hope when a football finance expert named Kretinsky as a ‘likely buyer’ of West Ham this week.
That has given new relevance to comments made by Kretinsky about increasing his stake in the club during a rare interview on Czech TV back in 2024.
And there is one line in Kretinsky’s response when asked if he is interested in a full West Ham takeover which now has new relevance with Sullivan under more pressure than ever to sell up.
Hammers News covered Kretinsky’s comments at the time, in which he said his heart is with West Ham but that he didn’t believe a full takeover was on the table.
Kretinsky didn’t think West Ham takeover was on the table but it is now
That clearly would be the case now with the Hammers posting mounting losses and fans vowing to continue their protests against Sullivan and Brady until they leave.
“I don’t think it’s on the table,” Kretinsky said with a wry smile in the TV interview, which you can see below.
Would you take relegation if it meant that David Sullivan would leave?! 🤔
Not a nice position to be in – but what would YOU choose if you had to?
“First of all when we talk about Premier League we talk strictly about West Ham, right.
“My heart is with West Ham and any other club would never interest me.
“We are happy with our shareholding I have to say. I can also say that it is not part of our thinking that we would become a sole controlling shareholder of West Ham.
“But if there is an opportunity to somehow increase our stake without becoming majority (owners) we would be very open to that and I would be proud to be able to even tighten the link with the club.
“But at the same time I have to say that the co-operation and other things amongst the shareholders is very good and I feel very comfortable in the role in which we are and very grateful for this role.”
A journalist recently claimed Sullivan will sell his West Ham stake this summer with Brady expected to depart too.
So if that is the case then a full West Ham takeover very much would be on the table for Kretinsky, unlike in 2024.
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