Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky is set to become the outright majority shareholder at West Ham United, with his 1890 Holdings investment vehicle agreeing to further his ownership of the East London club up to 46%.
The decision ensures that any attempt by Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners to strike West Ham will be denied by another majority stakeholder, David Sullivan, whose stake now moves to around 40% as other board members and internal investors were able to exercise pre-emption rights on Kretinsky’s purchase of his other shareholders’ stock, meaning control will likely remain strongly with the London Stadium club management.
The deal has also happened during a time of enormous pressure on West Ham from a purely financial perspective and on the back of so much uncertainty at off-field level. A new majority shareholder in Kretinsky will look to inject capital into the squad for Nuno Espirito Santo’s management and stabilise West Ham in the long run, considering as many as four divisions separated the Czech Republic giant; where he now holds a majority share in British mailing and logistics company Royal Mail and in fact owns both AC Sparta Prague football club, his controlling interest in West Ham as the largest stakeholder there would allow for rapid and swift decision making on matters of management.
Not only will Kretinsky’s ownership stake lead to substantial injections of cash into the club over the coming seasons, but the move in management structures as a result of Kretinsky having such clear authority in place will likely ensure more stability for the side, something the fans and board feel is a desperately needed change.
Data Source: BBC Sport Reporting (“Kretinsky agrees to become largest West Ham shareholder”).
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