How West Ham have responded to Sadiq Khan after London Stadium offer

London Mayor Sadiq Khan had invited West Ham to buy the London Stadium.

Taxpayers are reportedly forking out £19million every year to fund the former Olympic Stadium.

The Hammers have a 99-year lease and are now paying less than the £4.6m annual rent they had before their Premier League relegation.

Khan has previously criticised the deal struck by his predecessor Boris Johnson, which does not include a break clause for the Greater London Authority.

He would now consider a credible proposal for the Irons to purchase the Stratford-based arena.

Those claims were in response to Labour's Bassam Mahfouz, who urged him to consider the sale, and the E20 club have now responded.

What do West Ham feel about buying the London Stadium?

It is understood that the Championship club do not have any intention of striking a deal to take the ground off City Hall's hands, despite Khan's keenness to offload it.

Hammers News reports on Monday that a source close to the Irons insists it is not within the ownership's plans.

They said: “It’s worth zero as you take on a £20m per year loss and quite soon there is possibly some very heavy capital expenditure on the ground itself.

“It only works if they throw in some more land or property but the real problem is the contract with UK Athletics.

“It’s a very complicated issue.”

How West Ham feel is not a surprise as there are multiple reasons why it is not in their interest to commit to buying the arena where the likes of Jarrod Bowen star.

Why don't West Ham want to buy their stadium?

It makes no sense for the Hammers to buy the stadium, when they have a 99-year lease already.

The authorities have put themselves in a very difficult position, as there is no benefit for the Irons to break the clause.

Daniel Kretinsky and Co would inherit any future operating costs and improvements that have to be made, and have to spend money out of their own pocket.

If the source is correct about the £20m-per-year loss, then it an absolute no brainer to not purchase the stadium.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side are secure in the knowledge that they have a home, but they do not pay the related costs that usually come with that.

Khan may have opened the door, but it seems like the Hammers have firmly closed it behind them.

Whether that completely ends the conversation remains to be seen, but it seems unlikely that they will be purchasing the ground anytime soon.