Keith Wyness lifts lid on potential Qatar takeover at West Ham
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has insisted a US takeover is more likely than Qatari investment at West Ham.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – insisted North American investment is the "most likely" path forward for the Irons.
The Qatari Investment Authority (QIA) were previously linked with a takeover at West Ham in 2016 and reports re-emerged last year (2023) suggesting the Irons were yet again a target.
Sheikh Jassim fronted an unsuccessful bid to buy Man United in 2023, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe eventually securing a minority investment at Old Trafford.
Wyness has previously told Football Insider (21 November) that West Ham are “available” to bidders and he expects takeover movement in the new year.
QIA own 87.5% of the shares in French giants Paris Saint-Germain and club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is a top-ranking executive in the Middle Eastern nation.
US takeover more likely than Qatari investment at West Ham, says Wyness
Wyness told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “Qatar makes more sense than Red Bull, but I still think a US takeover is most likely.
“I don’t have any news on a specific group, but I do think something will happen.
“Look at the age of the current ownership and the structure of it, I think it’d be best if it’s all cleaned up.
“There’s a lot of issues at the club. Daniel Kretinsky hasn’t moved forward to buy the rest of the club, so there’s an opportunity.
“However, I think it will be an American group rather than something from the Middle East.”
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