West Ham United: Ray Parlour shares takeover admission in ‘sleeping giant’ verdict live on air
West Ham United “should be sold” by majority shareholder David Sullivan as the club has the tools to qualify for the Champions League, according to Ray Parlour.
The Irons booked their place in the Europa League quarter-finals with a 5-0 win over Freiburg on Thursday (14 March) and currently sit seventh in the Premier League table as they eye a fourth consecutive season in Europe.
Despite the positive season so far, Parlour believes the Hammers are still a “sleeping giant” and could become “a force” in the Premier League if they were taken over by richer owners at the London Stadium.
Speaking on talkSPORT on Friday (15 March, 7:10) he said: “I believe the club should be sold, West Ham is a sleeping giant. It’s in London, you’ve got the stadium and it could be a force.
“If somebody came in and put the money into the club itself, I reckon they would be pushing for the top four, I really do believe that they’ve got the tools to do that. Whether it’s with David Moyes or not is another matter.”
Could West Ham United be taken over and become a Champions League club?
There have been links in the past to suggest that Qatari investors including Sheikh Jassim are interested in acquiring a controlling stake in the Hammers, but so far, nothing more than speculation has emerged at the London Stadium.
As Parlour suggests, the Irons are a sleeping giant in terms of their position in the English footballing pyramid as they have a stadium, players and European pedigree that is more than worthy of Champions League football.
However, that doesn’t appear to be possible on a consistent basis under the current ownership model in East London. With the right investment, the Irons could go from an upper midtable top-flight side to a genuine top-four contender.
Hopefully, Parlour’s prayers will be answered sooner rather than later and some sort of new investment will arrive to help the Hammers make the next step. Until then, supporters will have to leave their faith in Moyes and Sullivan.
In other West Ham news, Jarrod Bowen has shared a new Moyes admission amid sack speculation at the London Stadium
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