David Sullivan to strengthen grip on West Ham ownership as £750m Premier League news emerges
The Premier League is lining up a £750million annual revenue boost, which would benefit all 20 clubs, including West Ham.
Sky News reported on Friday that West Ham were among clubs informed this week that the Premier League is considering changes to aspects of its commercial strategy to mirror a structure used by several sports in the United States.
It is stated that an annual revenue boost of around £750m could be achieved by selling 60 per cent of perimeter advertising sales in a centralised way, while the number of top commercial partners associated with the league would be increased from seven to 10.
The new approach remains at an ‘explanatory’ stage, and there are no firm plans just yet – but it would provide a big benefit to all clubs in the league.
For owner David Sullivan, this could be a blessing, with a guaranteed financial reinforcement strengthening his position at the helm – something that may not be popular among supporters given their intense criticism of him.
Nuno Espirito Santo and David Sullivan would love to benefit from big cash windfall
Taking over from Graham Potter in late September, it took Nuno Espirito Santo a while to get fully bedded in at the London Stadium, with the club being dragged into a tight relegation battle.
Though his Hammers side have improved drastically since the turn of the year, and have lost just once in their last five league outings.
Should he keep West Ham in the Premier League, he will expect further backing over the summer months, with the current squad being an amalgamation of multiple managers’ ideas – somewhat stripping him of any blame for many of this season’s misfortunes.
The overhaul did start in January, with the likes of Lucas Paqueta leaving the club, alongside Niclas Füllkrug, whose move from Borussia Dortmund did not work out due to consistent injury woes.
Even with Taty Castellanos, Pablo and Adama Traore all joining the club permanently, the real overhaul will begin over the summer.
Most importantly, though, West Ham need to keep themselves in the division. Not just for the future of Nuno and many others who would likely depart following relegation, but to benefit from the proposed commercial changes that clubs will be desperate to miss.
But then comes the prospect of Sullivan, where the situation becomes blurry for Hammers fans.
While they would love to see a manager backed on the field, one who has a fantastic record in the league, any additional resources may just cement Sullivan’s position at the club, something that West Ham fans continue to protest about.
- Read more: Henry Winter details new West Ham fan protests, plus update on what Karren Brady has planned
Nuno has proven he can build a squad – added cash would help him
While the argument is there to be made that there is a ceiling to Nuno’s football, given his poor stint at Tottenham, there aren’t many better out there to guide a side into the top half, and in the hunt for European football – something which West Ham crave.
Following Wolves’ promotion to the Premier League in 2018, the Portuguese coach took the club straight into the Europa League at the first time of asking, while constructing a squad that was fit to fight alongside Leicester as the two challengers to the traditional ‘big six’.
The same can be said at Nottingham Forest, who he also guided to Europe after saving them from relegation a year prior, and only left the club following disagreements with higher-ups regarding the recruitment direction.
The respective nosedives of the two sides after his departure also add to that story.
The simple fact of the matter is that if Nuno is able to construct a squad and receive backing from the support and ownership, he will put points on the board.
The signing of Castellanos in particular has already gone a long way in terms of creating a ‘Nuno’ side, and some additional benefits from the Premier League would certainly help him mould West Ham in his image, while his record in the league speaks for itself.
For more expert analysis and news on West Ham United, check out Football Insider for the latest updates.