Kieran Maguire speaks on Daniel Kretinsky becoming West Ham’s biggest shareholder

Kieran Maguire speaks on Daniel Kretinsky becoming West Ham’s biggest shareholder, agreeing a deal to buy an additional stake in the club.

Kretinsky is set to increase his share to 43% that’s exceeding the current 38.8% owned by David Sullivan, who resigned as joint chairman last week.

It comes after Sullivan was informed of historic allegations of misconduct, he categorically denies those allegations which were broadcasted by the BBC on Monday.

Sam Ellard: Kieran, what does this all mean then for West Ham moving forward?

Kieran: I think in the short term it will give West Ham fans a bit of comfort because Daniel Kretinsky is a very wealthy individual. He’s now the the dominant shareholder. He still won’t have 50% but he will have 50% in conjunction with some of the other major shareholders such as Tripp” Smith and Terry Brown. So I think they will work together to provide the necessary funding that West Ham require over the course of the summer. West Ham in their most recent accounts, they owed 196 million pounds in unpaid transfer fees, which isn’t excessive by Premier League standards, but it it still would have been financially very challenging for them this summer to deal with because they don’t have all of the Premier League monies. So I think some of the West Ham fans were concerned that would they have to borrow would that clearly they’re going to have to sell some players but I think this will give a degree of comfort to those fans uh in terms of the direction of the club going forwards.

Sam Ellard: And in terms of then then the summer obviously you mentioned there there’s a good chance they could raise funds by themselves or players. I mean Mateus Fernandes has been a player that’s been linked with a move away over the last couple of weeks. Obviously they’ve got they’ve got Jarrod Bowen and then them. Would you expect West Ham from a financial point of view um to be in a decent position to invest in the team to to win promotion back to the Premier League?

Kieran: Yes, they’re going to have to use the exit door as much as the uh in terms of signings as well. There’s no doubt about that. But they they’ve got the physical cash now because Daniel Kretinsky independently is wealthy. He has indicated that he’s willing to provide through his company 1890 Holdings further funds and and I think that was the major concern for West Ham fans. So that will be good, so yes, I would expect them to be competitive in the summer. Yes, they’re certainly going to lose some of their better players, but that’s always the case when a major club is relegated.

Charlie Adam: Does this change in the dynamics of of how West Ham are going to go forward? Will he want to take full control of the football club or will he be happy to keep other investors in there or does he want, you know, 100% share value or does he want 100% of the football club himself?

Kieran: I suspect Charlie he’ll be looking for more than 50% because that will allow him to dictate the strategy of the club going forwards in terms of how it invests both on and off the pitch and on the back of that he… we have seen him recently move from being a minority investor in quite a few companies to taking them over. He historically had been quite shy, but he certainly has come to the fore in recent times and and there’s no bigger megaphone for a rich individual than owning a football club if they want to get their message across in terms of how they want to invest and and where they want to see important industries such as football going forwards.

A joint statement from Vanessa Gold and Daniel Kretinsky, representing the Gold family and 1890 Holdings, has been published on the West Ham United website:

“We were deeply concerned by the revelations made by The Times and Panorama this week and our thoughts go out to those women who have fought so hard to make their voices heard. Any abuse of power is abhorrent, and it takes great courage and determination to speak up against it..

“The full West Ham United Board was not notified about these allegations against David Sullivan until approximately a month ago, when he informed us that certain allegations against him may be published. However, the full details of the allegations, which Mr Sullivan denies, only became apparent when they were made public on Monday (8 June). In addition, as communicated by West Ham United, the Board representatives of Shareholders other than Mr Sullivan were only made aware this week of the safeguarding measures that have been in place since 2023.

“As Shareholders and Directors of West Ham, our focus is now firmly on protecting the future of this Football Club. Our goal is to stabilise West Ham United, retain as many of our key players as possible and, under the management of Nuno Espírito Santo, secure an immediate return to the Premier League. We are also committed to engaging with our fans and all business partners to build a stronger future for our Club. We have already taken concrete steps toward this goal.

“As such, we have reached agreement on the key terms of a share purchase transaction between the Gold family and 1890 Holdings, which, subject to other Shareholders’ pre-emption rights and necessary approvals, would make 1890 Holdings (part of the broader group EP) the largest Shareholder in West Ham with an approximately 43% stake. As the largest Shareholder, group EP will be able to provide the additional financing the Club needs.

“We expect to finalise this transaction in the next couple of weeks. Once the agreement is complete, group EP and the Gold family have also agreed to vote jointly on key matters and to support the strategy targeting an immediate return to the Premier League.

“Alongside Daniel Křetínský and Vanessa Gold, the other Shareholders, namely Tripp Smith, Daniel Harris and Terry Brown, are fully aligned on this strategy and stabilising the Club.

“We are taking these steps because West Ham United needs to be truly united at this moment in its history. We believe that a strong coalition – of fans, players, management and the Board – is essential to securing the bright future this Club deserves. We are absolutely committed to playing our part.”

Here’s how fans reacted as Kieran Maguire speaks on Daniel Kretinsky becoming West Ham’s biggest shareholder…

@Fordyas: We’re getting our club back ⚒️

@tomdorey03: This is more good news going forward for this club going into next season and for the future itself ⚒️

@IronworkTours: Largest shareholder, not majority 😉

@j1992jkl: The good times are finally coming back ⚒️

@JonathanRDuguay: Hopefully this change is a good sign of new & better turning point for the future of the club. Depending on how next season goes getting regulated may have been the best thing to happen to West Ham. Regardless, Forever Blowing Bubbles!

@Si_23Q: Such a good day seeing Kretinsky is now the majority share holder in the club and David Sullivans power has disappeared. Promotion is imperative but if he can improve the stadium and training facilities too the guy will be loved by us fans #COYI

@MathewMcC42084: THANK FUCK @WestHam Now lets see his cash do some talking for him and help us secure immediate rebound (hahaha a wish we’re down there for 2/3yr till we build a proper squad but if thats what it takes ad rather than than yoyo up and down for a decade or more.

@redgewd: For the 1st time I have a bit of hope that if we come back up we can become stronger than before ⚒⚒

@pavanmahal: He will actually make West Ham back how it was!! ⚒️⚒️⚒️

The NEW West Ham United board of directors:

• Daniel Kretinsky – Majority Shareholder
• Vanessa Gold
• Tripp Smith
• Terry Brown
• Daniel Harris

Not a Sullivan in sight. Love to see it!

⚒️ #WHUFC #COYI pic.twitter.com/wIA7m8k9zu

— West Ham News & Views (@WestHamViews_) June 13, 2026