Daniel Kretinsky in London Stadium talks as West Ham United takeover soon
West Ham part owner Daniel Kretinsky is rumoured to have held talks with London Legacy Development Corporation CEO Lyn Garner on 11 February, according to KUMB (13 February).
The report claims Kretinsky wants to buy the London Stadium as the soon-to-be-dissolved LLDC, who effectively run the stadium, want the cost of running it removed from the public purse.
This would be a precursor to a full takeover of West Ham after April this year when the club could be sold without David Sullivan handing any cash over to the government.
Intriguingly, KUMB also suggests Kretinsky may have already earmarked a replacement for David Moyes, regardless of whether he keeps the club in the Premier League for another season.
In fact, it is claimed that a possible change in ownership is the reason Moyes is still in the job, with the club not risking a prolonged hunt for a new boss as Leeds flounder to their attempts to replace Jesse Marsch.
The report also states former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was potentially involved in the weekend’s talks as he still has some involvement in the future of the stadium after his time as Mayor of London.
Deal must be done soon
The controversy around our move to the London Stadium has been an albatross around the club’s neck for too long.
So too has a possible change in ownership. Despite the relatively successful domestic campaigns of 2020-21 and 2021-22, the club has always felt in limbo.
A resolution to this ongoing saga will hopefully be resolved before the start of next season, or, even better, the start of the summer transfer window.
This would give Kretinsky the time to bring his own people in before what could prove to be a crucial few months in the club’s recent history.
On Moyes, how many times have we seen new owners come in and immediately change the manager? It’s not unheard of. Kretinsky also has no loyalty to the Scot and after this season, I think an ideal move for everyone could be a mutual exit at the end of the season.
Heading into the 2022-23 season we could be looking at the new dawn this club desperately needs.