Kretinsky set to become West Ham's biggest shareholder after deal

West Ham United’s ownership structure is moving toward a major reset, with Daniel Kretinsky set to become the club’s largest shareholder after a deal that would lift his stake to about 43% and put him ahead of David Sullivan’s 38.8%. The timing gives the transaction added weight: it comes as the club confronts fallout from serious historic allegations against Sullivan and renewed questions about governance, safeguarding and board oversight.

Kretinsky and Vanessa Gold said they had reached agreement on the key terms of a share purchase transaction involving the Gold family and 1890 Holdings, part of Kretinsky’s EP group. The deal is still subject to other shareholders’ pre-emption rights and the necessary approvals, but the parties said they expect to finalise it in the next couple of weeks. In a joint statement, they said EP would be able to provide the additional financing West Ham needs, and that EP and the Gold family would vote jointly on key matters.

The ownership move follows Sullivan’s resignation as West Ham’s joint-chair and director on June 7, after he was told of the impending publication of serious historic allegations against him. Sullivan denies the allegations and says they are “factually incorrect and entirely false”, adding that he intends to sue the BBC and any other outlet repeating the claims. The allegations, reported by BBC Panorama in a programme titled Predator: The Billionaire Football Boss and by The Times, involve seven women, while other reporting said eight women made disclosures to police.

The women’s accounts date back to the 1980s and 1990s and centre on claims that Sullivan used his position at the Daily Sport and Sunday Sport to pressure young or aspiring models into sexual acts in exchange for work or career opportunities. Essex Police said it had received contact and inquiries after the allegations emerged. The Metropolitan Police said it was investigating a report relating to alleged indecent images and sexual exploitation in London and Essex in the 1980s.

The scrutiny has spread to football regulation as well. The Independent Football Regulator contacted West Ham seeking urgent information on Sullivan’s suitability under its owners, directors and senior executives regime. Reporting has said previous police investigations into similar claims in 2008, 2021 and 2023 did not lead to charges. West Ham has also said board members other than Sullivan were only made aware this week of safeguarding measures in place since 2023, including restrictions on his contact with the club’s women’s and youth teams.

The club’s relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2025-26 season, after 14 years in the top flight, has sharpened the pressure on its owners. For West Ham, the coming share transfer is no ordinary reshuffle: it is a test of whether new control can deliver real accountability, or merely repackage power while the reputational damage deepens.