A group headed by Amanda Staveley has agreed to acquire a 25.1% holding in West Ham after Vanessa Gold, the daughter of former chairman David Gold, accepted an offer for her family’s shares in the Championship side.
The businesswoman, who played a central role in the Saudi-backed purchase of Newcastle, made the move after an earlier deal with existing shareholder and Czech entrepreneur Daniel Kretinsky failed to reach completion.
The Gold family trust controls 25.1% of West Ham. The club dropped out of the Premier League last season, two years after lifting the Europa Conference League trophy in 2023. Existing shareholders will still have an opportunity to purchase the Gold family’s stake as part of the continuing process.
Gold said in a statement: “Following my father’s death in 2023, it was an immense privilege to serve the club as joint chair and director. Whether he was representing the youth team, supporting West Ham throughout his life or helping to own the club, David Gold was always committed to defending and promoting its interests. I am deeply proud to have carried on his work during the past three years, and I remain extremely thankful to the employees, players and supporters who helped me do that.
“Daniel Kretinsky and I reached an agreement on 12 June that would have made EP Group West Ham’s largest individual shareholder. Regrettably, neither that initial transaction nor the alternative arrangements explored since then could be completed.
“Given those circumstances, I have agreed to transfer my family’s stake to a consortium headed by Amanda Staveley, Mehrdad Ghodoussi and PCP Capital Partners. The proposed transaction must still go through a pre-emption procedure that allows current shareholders to purchase the shares instead.
“Although the procedure is not yet finished, I believe supporters deserve clarity about the present situation and my plans. My goal has always been to secure the leadership and ownership required for West Ham to fulfil its ambitions and regain its position in the Premier League.
“Amanda Staveley, Mehrdad Ghodoussi and PCP Capital Partners possess considerable knowledge of how to manage a successful football club. I am confident they can make a valuable contribution to West Ham. Until the transaction is settled, I will keep acting in the club’s best interests, just as my father always did and would have wanted me to continue doing.”
Staveley helped negotiate the October 2021 takeover that saw a Saudi-supported consortium purchase Newcastle from Mike Ashley. She and Ghodoussi subsequently helped transform the team from relegation contenders into Champions League qualifiers. The club later won the Carabao Cup following their departure in the summer of 2024.
After being relegated from the top division last season, West Ham will start their attempt to earn an immediate promotion when they visit Burnley on 16 August.
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