‘Ambitious’ new owners have been confirmed for Premier League rivals but West Ham fans must wait for clarity in the coming months.
As reported by Hammers News yesterday, the future ownership of West Ham remains somewhat unclear.
There has been claim and counter claim about Daniel Kretinsky’s stance at West Ham and whether he will eventually launch a full takeover bid.
The “Czech Sphinx” paid a reported £150m for 27 per cent of West Ham last November and it was predicted his arrival would allow the Hammers to go bigger and better than before in the transfer market.
That was certainly the case with £170m spent on player acquisitions in the summer. However the team has struggled on the field in the Premier League this season and is one point off the relegation zone.
There are ownership changes afoot at several of West Ham’s Prem rivals.
Chelsea have just changed hands with Todd Boehly’s US consortium taking charge at Stamford Bridge.
And both Manchester United and Liverpool were put up for sale recently.
Now ‘ambitious’ new owners have been confirmed for another Premier League rival but West Ham fans must wait for clarity on their own situation in the coming months.
American businessman Bill Foley’s consortium has today completed the purchase of Bournemouth for a figure believed to be worth over £100m.
The Las Vegas-based businessman replaces Bournemouth owner Maxim Demin to become the latest American to invest in English football after the takeover was finally approved by the Premier League following the owners and directors test.
Hollywood actor Michael B Jordan is also a minority owner as part of the takeover.
Foley, who has a net worth of around £890m, has laid out ambitious plans having completed the takeover.
He said: “We will move forward with an ‘always advance, never retreat’ approach that has defined all of my endeavours. I am committed to work with the best football and business minds available to enhance player development, facilities, and the fan experience to put AFC Bournemouth in the best possible position to succeed.”
West Ham fans will note the takeover values Bournemouth around one-sixth that of the Hammers – with Kretinsky’s investment meaning the east Londoners are worth in the region of £600m.
Hammers fans face a wait to find out the future ownership plans at the London Stadium, though.
Kretinsky has repeatedly been linked with an eventual full takeover of West Ham (The Evening Standard). And there has been speculation for years that David Sullivan and David Gold would sell their stakes in the Hammers in 2023.
Any sale by Sullivan and Gold before March 2023 would incur a cost as part of the deal which saw West Ham move from Upton Park to the London Stadium.
It was agreed that if Sullivan and Gold sold the club for more than £300million before that date, 20 per cent of any profit would go to the ground’s landlord, the London Legacy Development Corporation.
There is something of a ‘Mexican stand off between the West Ham owners’ according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
Less than a week after club insiders claimed Kretinsky is eyeing full control, the website Football Insider claims the opposite is the case as things stand.
It looks like April will be the earliest West Ham fans get any inkling as to what may happen in the medium to long term future.
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