Daniel Kretinsky stance revealed as £600m West Ham United takeover update emerges
Daniel Kretinsky would have to put in a substantial offer to be the chief decision maker at West Ham, according to Kieran Maguire.
The football finance expert claims that David Sullivan and the board have already turned down £600million a few years ago and are unlikely to give up their stake on the cheap.
TBR Football reported on 20 July that as things stand, Kretinsky does not plan on increasing his stake either.
Maguire told TBR: “His [Kretinsky] history is with distressed assets.
“There might be some distressed fans at West Ham at times, but I wouldn’t classify the club as a distressed asset.
“There is also likely to be significant pushback from David Sullivan. Following the sad passing of David Gold, he now wants to position himself as the chief decision-maker.
“Kretinsky would have to come in with a very substantial price. I know someone offered £600m three or four years ago, which they turned down.
“At the time, it looked a very generous offer. But when you consider the stadium is being subsidised by local government, they have been able to expand the capacity and it is based in London, you can see the appeal.
“There are a lot of positives at West Ham. The frustration is that it is not a football stadium.
“Many West Ham fans were sold a vision that hasn’t materialised in terms of success on the pitch.“
West Ham fans had high hopes for Daniel Kretinsky
When Kretinsky acquired a 27% stake in the Hammers in 2021, many fans hoped that the Czech billionaire would help take the club to the next level.
His investment was seen as a significant boost and three years later, he still remains a minority shareholder and there is no indication that he plans to increase his stake or pursue a full takeover of the club.
Maguire suggests that Kretinsky would need to come in with a very substantial offer to gain a controlling interest in the club and that seems unlikely now.
If there is to be a change of ownership, the club needs a billionaire with a strong footballing mind to come in and turn things around.
He or she can bring in the right people to build the structure from the ground up and make the Hammers a force in English football.
Kretinsky, too, might have a change of heart, but his hands-off approach is not something that will make him popular with the fans.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers may vary their training routines as they have made an approach to sign a £70m-rated player this summer.
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