Qatari takeover at West Ham United now on the cards as Fabrizio Romano drops £5.7bn bombshell
After Sheikh Jassim’s attempted purchase of Manchester United fell through, he could now step up his interest in a takeover of West Ham United, after previous reports suggested they present an alternative to his plans.
Fabrizio Romano shared via his Twitter account [14 October] that the £5.7billion offer for the full takeover of Manchester United was turned down, leading to Sheikh Jassim withdrawing his interest in the pursuit.
BBC journalist Simon Stone told the Stretford Paddock YouTube channel [11 July] that, should Sheikh Jassim’s bid for Manchester United fall through, the interest from Qatar could move elsewhere in the Premier League, including West Ham.
Similarly, a report from Spanish news outlet El Pais claimed the Hammers provided an alternative for the Qatari Sheikh [20 May].
The Manchester United-focused podcast Stone spoke to had speculated as to what a non-Manchester United takeover would look like with regard to the club, but it seems the consensus is that Qatar will want to pump money into whoever they buy, much like what we’ve seen at Manchester City and Newcastle.
West Ham could be an exciting focus for this, following the club’s European success last year, this may be a clear foundation to further the club’s success and challenge rivals in what Stone referred to as competition among the Gulf states in the Premier League.
The Hammers have laid the foundations for potential success this season, following their exploits last year, with a busy transfer window building a squad capable of competing across all four competitions.
There were also suggestions that the Hammers’ rivals Tottenham could be a potential option for a takeover, but West Ham’s potential, with their huge stadium and London location, may provide a cheaper alternative for a full takeover and a long-term project.
In other West Ham news, the club have had a bid rejected for “the next Bobby Moore“.