Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky is interested in buying a large minority stake in West Ham United, with the possibility of buying a majority of the club in the future.
football.london understands there is genuine interest from Kretinsky in a stake that is believed to be around 27% of the club.
If the transaction is completed, the deal is not expected to include an option for the Czech-based businessman to take full control of West Ham after an unspecified period as had been reported.
Though a deal still could take place at a later date that would mean Gold and Sullivan's control of the Hammers coming to an end, any further movement would require more negotiations with the duo who bought the club over 10 years ago.
Kretinsky is not the only party interested in pursuing a deal for the Hammers, but he is currently the one furthest along in initial talks.
Any potential move could spell the beginning of the end for owners David Gold and David Sullivan in their time in charge of the club. They took over the Hammers in 2010, and have recently rejected two bids for the club from private equity firm PAI Capital.
So who is the man behind the move and what experience does he have? football.london will fill you in on all you need to know about Daniel Kretinsky.
Kretinsky, 46, is from the Czech Republic and is most well known for being the co-owner and president of Czech side Sparta Prague.
His education was in the legal world, going on to become both a judge and a lawyer of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic.
The businessman is also known for other assets that he owns. One of his biggest is EPH, the largest energy group in Central Europe. He also has interests in media, industrial ventures and retail.
The move to become a part-owner of West Ham wouldn’t be his first acquisition in the United Kingdom. According to Sky News, he is currently the largest shareholder of Royal Mail, as well as the second-largest shareholder in supermarket Sainsbury’s. He also has shares in FootLocker.
According to Forbes, Kretinsky’s current net-worth is $4billion - roughly £2.9billion. A full takeover would see the Hammers jump up to around 10th in the list of richest owners in the Premier League according to talkSPORT, with Gold and Sullivan currently 14th in the rankings.
