West Ham takeover news: £5.2bn New Yorker among trio potentially in Gold talks
West Ham United are preparing for Sunday’s Premier League encounter with Manchester United and will hope to return to form.
The Hammers could climb from 17th to 14th if they beat the Red Devils at Old Trafford on Sunday, and other results go their way.
Meanwhile, David Gold’s family is prepared to sell their shares in the East London club, but the talks are only at the lawyer stage.
West Ham Zone takes a look at three individuals who are potentially in takeover talks with the Gold family:
Billy Horschel
Gold’s Family currently hold 25.1 per cent of the shares in West Ham, but are now willing to cash in on their stakes in the Premier League side.
According to Claret & Hugh [10 May], American golfer Horschel has often declared his love for the Hammers and boasts a net worth of £25million.
The report adds that the 38-year-old is unlikely to be in the takeover frame, even as part of a consortium.
However, he should not be ruled out, given his Hammers affiliations coupled with his strong sporting background.
Tripp Smith
As per Claret & Hugh, Smith already owns eight per cent of the London Stadium club and would be a prime candidate to lead an American consortium, thanks to his financial contacts.
The fact that the Gold family is putting their shares up for sale presents Smith with a key opportunity to take greater control at West Ham.
| Opponent | Result |
| Southampton (H) | 1-1 D |
| Brighton (A) | 3-2 L |
| Tottenham (H) | 1-1 D |
Robert Kotick
According to Claret & Hugh’s report, Kotick, also known as ‘Bobby’, has retained an interest in purchasing a Premier League club.
Kotick could be the driving force behind a Hammers takeover thanks to his eyewatering net worth of up to £5.2bn.
The New Yorker was previously the CEO of games company Activision Blizzard, which produced Call of Duty and Candy Crush.