West Ham's new owner could seal 'world-class' stadium deal - Keith Wyness
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has claimed a new owner at West Ham could transform the London Stadium into a "world-class" football arena.
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 – warned the project would be a "massive engineering job" but would "justify the money spent".
West Ham struck a 99-year lease for the London Stadium with the City of London in 2016 worth £3.6million a year.
Wyness previously told Football Insider (9 August) that a takeover could materialise at West Ham before the end of the year.
West Ham new owner could transform London Stadium into 'world-class' arena, says Wyness
The Irons have been at the London Stadium since 2016 after £274million developments to ensure the ground was suitable for football.
Wyness told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “The stadium should have been designed with football in mind from the start.
“You’d have then had Spurs and other clubs really chasing it, and a much greater price would have been paid.
“The stadium is for sale, as far as I’m aware.
“The interesting thing would be a new owner coming into West Ham then spending the money re-engineering the stadium to make it more football-friendly.
“You’d have to bring those stands in. It would be a massive engineering job, but you’d then have a world-class stadium in a great part of London.
“It would be a very attractive investment, and it would justify the money spent on doing it.
“I can see a new owner at West Ham in the not-too-distant future, and they could look at that project.
“The fans would love it.”
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