Kieran Maguire: West Ham fans right to be 'deeply suspicious' as Irons icon stance on takeover revealed
PAI Capital must be "more professional" if they want to win the trust of West Ham fans ahead of a possible takeover.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the latest developments in the PAI-GSB saga.
Investment firm PAI have recruited Hammers icon Tony Cottee as the latest ambassador in their bid to wrestle control away from GSB.
Cottee, who scored 146 goals across two spells with the Irons in the 80s and 90s, gave his blessing via Twitter on 21 August.
He joins Rio and Anton Ferdinand as the latest public figure to back PAI with a second takeover bid reportedly imminent.
Maguire told this site on 15 August that he thought it was "strange" that PAI were conducting their business in the public domain.
And he now claims that West Ham fans are warranted to feel "deeply suspicious" of the prospective new owners.
He told Football Insider correspondent Adam Williams: "PAI have to be more professional in the way that they conduct themselves.
"Certainly from following social media, the West ham fanbase are now deeply suspicious of their motives and strategy.
"Ssome fans are potentially thinking 'better the devil you know' with regards to GSB and PAI.
"I think that's indicative of just how quickly they've messed up here.
"'GSB out' is a common phrase. It's regularly trending on social media and the current owners are not popular."