Many West Ham fans are hoping for new owners in the near future. Could Seattle Seahawks owner Paul Allen be looking at buying the club?
In short, no. West Ham are an attractive investment, if they stay in the Premier League, and as such they are always going to be subject to rumours of potential ownership change. Especially whilst the current fan animosity to the current owners continues. But there is unlikely to be any change in the near future.
When West Ham moved into the London Stadium there were rumours flying around about change of ownership. Red Bull reportedly had an offer rejected, and there were other interested parties. But the owners have far more reason to hold on for now than they have to sell.
Although much of the contract is not public knowledge, it is widely understood that the current ownership of Sullivan, Gold and Brady have a clause which means that if they sell the club within a pre-determined period, reported to be before 2023, the tax and fees they have to pay are much larger than after. And if we know one thing, it’s that Gold and Sullivan will not waste money.
Be very surprised because the owners won’t have to pay any tax if they sell after 2023. Anything before that then will have to pay tax, £800m (rough value, look at what Ashley wouldn’t accept for Newcastle) sale = £119m tax to pay for example.
— Sam Inkersole (@Sam_InkersoleTM) May 2, 2018
Nope not that I or the club seem to know of! He would have spoken of it in the press i would assume anyway if there was. Be a perfect way to drum up support https://t.co/BqzrJoevkJ
— ExWHUEmployee (@ExWHUEmployee) May 2, 2018
Sam Inkersole and ExWhuEmployee are two of the most reliable sources of club news I know. If these two are not aware of any contact then I’m afraid it’s all rumour. As Ex says, Allen knows if he was to talk about it he’d get a lot of support from the fans. There would be no reason to keep it quiet.
Unfortunately, because people want it to be true, the rumour has spread. But with the owners unlikely to sell unless there is a crazy, crazy offer with a tight deadline I can’t see there being any change in ownership in the near future. But if you are reading this Paul Allen, I’d be very happy if you did take over.
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An American did invest at the start of the year, buying a 10% stake. Albert Tripp Smith is not in the same financial league as Paul Allen however, and a takeover is not on the cards. As I said above, if you want to check a story check Sam Inkersole or ExWhuEmployee. I check all facts with them if possible, and spreading fake stories on twitter doesn’t help anyone.