Kretinsky share sale hinders Staveley's West Ham bid

West Ham co-chair Daniel Kretinsky recently sold over 2% of his shares to Czech businessman Jakub Havrlant, a move that could complicate Amanda Staveley's attempt to acquire a stake in the Championship team. West Ham's other co-chair, Vanessa Gold, announced her family's plans to sell their shares to a consortium led by Staveley, subject to West Ham's pre-emption rights clause.

Kretinsky, who owned 27% of West Ham in 2021, had been unable to finalize his deal with Gold due to allegations made against the club's majority shareholder, David Sullivan, by a BBC Panorama investigation. Kretinsky has expressed his intention to consider his options after the Gold family's announcement, stating that he is assessing whether he will match Staveley's offer or pursue other options.

The sale to Havrlant is significant as it allows Kretinsky to purchase Gold's 25.1% stake without exceeding 50%, which would require him to make a bid for the remaining shares. Sullivan, who still owns 38.8%, might also attempt to buy Gold's shares, but the validity of such an offer remains uncertain due to the allegations against him.

The entire process for selling Gold's shares is expected to take approximately two months, involving two rounds of the pre-emption process.