Are West Ham better or worse off without David Sullivan's transfer window meddling?

West Ham United have seen David Sullivan's influence diminish in recent months.

The disgraced ex-Hammers chairman had to step down after allegations of his behaviour towards women.

Amanda Stavely was poised to take over at the Irons after bidding for the Gold Family's shares, but Daniel Kretinsky later reached an agreement that will take his shareholding to 46 per cent.

With Sullivan seemingly no longer involved and Kretinsky set to be the largest shareholder, the London Stadium faithful will expect a change in transfer strategy.

The former chairman was heavily involved in the day-to-day decisions at the East London club, including recruitment strategy.

Sullivan looked to have a big influence on who the club bought and sold in recent years, but that may finally change for the good.

Why David Sullivan is reason for West Ham failure

In the summer of 2025, Sullivan's transfer failures cost the Hammers their Premier League status.

In one such example, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Charlie Cresswell were targets at London Stadium, with the ex-Irons chairman offering loan deals to their respective clubs.

Eventually, the club couldn't adequately bolster their backline, with Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo's poor form clearly affecting them.

Now that Sullivan no longer seems to be a central figure in E20, things might change for the better.

Why Daniel Kretinsky can't be judged by summer transfer window

West Ham faced a lot of uncertainty during the summer transfer window, with the financial implications of relegation coming back to bite them.

Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville, two of the Hammers' best players, were sold.

With the Irons no longer in the Premier League, several players who played a big role last season under Nuno Espirito Santo left.

While the recruitment team juggled the challenges of the Championship, there must also have been a lack of clarity due to the leadership void in E20.

Staveley's bid undoubtedly came at the wrong time, with Kretinsky forced to defend his position at the East London club.

The next two transfer windows will show whether the management have learned from Sullivan, who the Irons are better off without.

Sparta Praha have slowly regained their reputation under the Czech billionaire and fans in E20 will hope for the same at London Stadium.