West Ham United stake sale to Amanda Staveley consortium advances

A consortium led by British businesswoman Amanda Staveley, together with her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi and partners Ashland Forest Capital Partners, has reached an agreement to purchase the 25.1% shareholding in West Ham United owned by the Gold family trust. The stake, held by Vanessa Gold, is valued at up to £150 million and is subject to a pre‑emption rights process that gives existing shareholders the first opportunity to match any offer. Current shareholders include Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský, who holds 27% and could increase his stake to around 52% if he exercises his rights, and David Sullivan, the club’s largest shareholder with 38.8%. The transaction remains provisional and is expected to take about two months to complete. West Ham, recently relegated to the Championship, hopes the new investment will help restore its fortunes. Staveley, who previously helped orchestrate the Saudi‑backed takeover of Newcastle United, aims to eventually acquire a majority position in the club. Vanessa Gold said, “I have now reached an agreement to sell my family’s shareholding to a consortium of PCP Capital Partners, led by Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi.” The deal is pending regulatory approval and the outcome of the pre‑emption process.