STAVELEY CONSORTIUM AGREES 25% STAKE IN WEST HAM UNITED

A consortium led by Amanda Staveley has agreed to acquire a 25.1 per cent stake in West Ham United, according to statements released by the club and Vanessa Gold, whose family holds the shares being sold. The proposed transaction involves PCP Capital Partners, led by Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, in partnership with Ashland Forest Capital Partners. The agreement follows discussions between the Gold family and Daniel Kretinsky's EP Group earlier in the summer, which did not result in a deal.

The sale must now undergo a pre-emption rights process, which allows existing shareholders the opportunity to acquire their proportional percentage of shares in two rounds. This process is expected to take approximately two months. David Gold, who died in 2023, was joint chairman of the club for 13 years alongside David Sullivan, who remains the largest shareholder with 38.8 per cent. Kretinsky holds the next highest stake in the Championship club. Staveley and Ghodoussi were previously shareholders at Newcastle United between 2021 and 2024, following the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund's takeover of the club.

West Ham United stated that day-to-day operations and preparations for the new season remain unaffected by the pending transaction. The club said it will make no further comment whilst the pre-emption process runs its course. Kretinsky's spokesperson responded to the announcement by stating that an earlier agreement with the Gold family "provided stability for the club at a crucial time", though did not elaborate further on the reasons the deal fell through.