West Ham ownership change on the cards as ‘outside buyer’ tipped to buy shares
West Ham United vice-chair Daniel Kretinsky has been tipped to take full control of the club, according to Keith Wyness.
The former Everton chief executive, speaking to Football Insider, believes changes do need to be made at the top of West Ham.
The Hammers have already confirmed the departures of former vice-chair Karren Brady and executive director Nathan Thompson with immediate effect.
Kretinsky may now move to acquire some of the Gold family’s 25 per cent stake, with Sullivan also in a position to increase his own shareholding beyond 40 per cent.
West Ham fans have protested against Sullivan’s ownership of the club this season, and would rather see the 77-year-old step down from his role as chairman.
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VISIT THE WEST HAM FINANCE HUB‘Discussions’ ongoing at West Ham around changes at the top
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes the possibility of an outside buyer at West Ham is unlikely due to “problems” at the club.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks Sullivan would prefer to sell his shares in the club whilst they remain in the Premier League.
| Annual Net Loss | £104.2m |
| Amortisation Charge | £80.3m |
| Net Debt | £192m |
| Wage-To-Revenue Ratio | 77% |
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I do think there needs to be a change at the very top, and that may be coming.
“All these shared discussions could be about getting ready for some sort of sale or other change of control. Kretinsky looks favourite to possibly come back and get full control, as he said he may do at the start.
“There could be an outside buyer, but you’re buying a club with quite a few problems, the least of which is the stadium and the problems at London Stadium.
“It’s a difficult position at West Ham right now. However, Nuno has done well to get the squad fighting back as we’ve seen, and they’re looking like they’ve got a very fair chance at survival. If they can do that, then West Ham’s ownership could be looking to sell their shares, if I’m right, as a Premier League club, as selling at Championship level is a completely different cup of tea.
“Interesting times at West Ham and one of the clubs to watch certainly right now in terms of behind the scenes, and I’ve got my ear to the ground very hard.”
Expert drops verdict on Karren Brady exit
Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson told Football Insider that Brady could have been involved in a fallout at West Ham amid her immediate departure from the club.
Brady had a long working relationship with Sullivan, originally at Birmingham City, and had been involved at West Ham for 16 years.
The 57-year-old’s decision to leave before the end of the season has raised questions over what is happening behind-the-scenes at the Hammers.
Brady’s exit also comes just weeks before the start of the summer transfer window, where playing trading will be important for the club due to their financial situation, with the sales of key players expected.
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