'I fear for West Ham if Amanda Staveley gets involved'
Fans of West Ham United should be concerned if Amanda Staveley is able to complete the purchase of 25.1 per cent of the club.
That is the opinion of former Aston Villa, Tottenham and Everton scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The former Newcastle United co-owner has agreed a deal for Vanessa Gold's stake in the Hammers, but may not ultimately get them.
The purchase is subject to a pre-emption rights clause, which could allow current shareholders Daniel Kretinsky or David Sullivan to match the offer, with the former having already attempted to buy out the Gold family.
Staveley and her husband, Mehrdad Ghodoussi, left Newcastle United in 2024 after selling their six per cent stake in the club.
The pair had been instrumental to the 2021 Saudi Arabian takeover and led the early years of the project before later admitting that the commitment had been too much.
West Ham warned over Amanda Staveley deal
Some have claimed that Staveley and Ghodoussi were the glue that were holding Newcastle together.
The Magpies progressed after their departure in the summer of 2024, ending their wait for a trophy in early 2025 and qualifying for the Champions League.
However, the last year has been brutal for Newcastle, with Alexander Isak's move to Liverpool last summer preceding a hugely disappointing season.
Eddie Howe's side finished 12th and have lost Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes as a result, with their manager having now stepped down as well.
Not everybody is convinced by Staveley, however. "Who are you going to point the finger at here? You mentioned Staveley," King told Football Insider when asked about the situation at St James' Park.
"I mean, look at her until she sold her stake in the club. You'd have thought she'd have been a Newcastle supporter all her life, wouldn't you?
"These people come and all they're interested in is buying and selling football clubs, and making as much money as they can.
"There's no feeling for the football club. I would fear for West Ham if she's going to start moving in on it with her pal. And I think this was the start of it because she was a big ally [to Howe]."
Staveley purchase could open Eddie Howe door
With Staveley clearly a huge supporter of Howe, any club she does get involved with will be linked with the 48-year-old.
And West Ham would be crazy to turn down that opportunity, considering the jobs he has done at both Newcastle and Bournemouth.
The Hammers will likely need to get promoted first, with Howe set to take a break from management.
Should he be ready to jump back in next summer, the stars could well align.