news-engine

Staveley breaks silence on failed takeover bid - by Staff Writer - Friday, 11th September 2026 Amanda Staveley has broken her silence on her failed attempt to acquire a significant stake in West Ham United, insisting that she and her consortium still have ambitions for the club. Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners had reached an agreement with Vanessa Gold to purchase the Gold family’s 25.1 per cent shareholding in the Hammers, but the deal was ultimately thwarted when existing shareholders exercised their pre-emption rights.Daniel Kretinsky subsequently emerged as the club’s largest shareholder, increasing his stake to around 46 per cent, while David Sullivan also increased his holding from 38.8 per cent to 40 per cent. The development brought an end - at least for now - to several weeks of speculation surrounding Staveley’s plans for the club. And while the former Newcastle director admitted to disappointment at the outcome, her latest comments suggest that she has not necessarily closed the door on her ambitious plans. “For transparency, our original offer was for both David Sullivan’s 38.8% stake and Vanessa Gold’s 25.1% stake in the club," she said. "There was always the potential that they other shareholders would take up their rights under the shareholders agreement which is what they have elected to do. "From the outset, we and our global investment partners approached this opportunity with enormous respect for West Ham, its history, identity and most importantly loyal and committed supporters. “We saw real potential to make a positive difference, rejuvenate the club and help West Ham compete consistently at the highest level of English football. “Mehrdad [Ghodoussi] and I, along with our partners, retain the greatest respect for the West Ham community who supported us both in the stands and online in recent weeks." Intriguingly however, Staveley stopped short of ruling out future involvement at the London Stadium. “We will continue to follow this process closely," she added. "Our ambitions for the club remain and we would be open to the opportunity to work constructively with the existing shareholders in the future - subject to us not taking up other opportunities that have been present to our consortium in the week of events over the past week. "Finally, we'd like to thank our advisors at CMS, Sidleys and UBS Investment Bank for all their hard work and support over the last few months. "To Vanessa [Gold] and family - thank you. And to West Ham United and its supporters, we wish you every success in the season ahead that this great club and its supporters deserve." Staveley has significant experience of football ownership following her involvement in the Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle United. During her time at St James’ Park, Newcastle progressed from being regular relegation candidates to Champions League qualification, although Staveley’s involvement with the club subsequently came to an abrupt end. Her proposed involvement at West Ham was viewed by some supporters as an opportunity for a fresh approach at a club which endured a miserable 2025/26 campaign, culminating in relegation from the Premier League - while others expressed concern regarding the lack of transparency regarding her financial backers. Instead, Kretinsky has emerged with considerably greater influence. The Czech billionaire, who first acquired a stake in West Ham in 2021, has now become the club's largest shareholder following an agreement involving Sullivan and the other existing investors. He is expected to assume a more prominent role in the running of the club - for the time being, at least. * Something to say about this story? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment.