Daniel Kretinsky could invest a maximum of £154m into West Ham if his latest claims about his investment plans are to be believed.
The Czech billionaire, who is currently attempting to take over the Royal Mail in a controversial £3.5bn deal, owns 27 per cent of West Ham at present.
Speculation that he could up his stake at the London Stadium has cooled in recent months, with most reports suggesting the 48-year-old is taking more of a backseat role.
And recent comments in a rate TV interview tell us something about his limits in terms of a full Hammers takeover.
Kretinsky could invest £154m and remain a minority shareholder
As relayed in a post on X, Kretinsky has said: “We are happy with our shareholding I have to say.
“I can also say that it is not part of our thinking that we would become a sole controlling shareholder of West Ham.
*“But if there is an opportunity to somehow increase our stake without becoming majority \[owners\] we would be very open to that and I would be proud to be able to even tighten the link with the club\.”*
So, Kretinsky is open to increasing his equity in the club but would not want to go beyond 49 per cent.
Crucially, the multi-industry investor has an option to acquire shares at a set price as part of his original put and call agreement with
With his original investment costing a reported £200m, that would mean Kretinsky could theoretically raise his stake to 49 per cent at a cost of £154m and remain a minority investor.
How likely is Kretinsky share purchase?
Kretinsky says he would be “very open” to increasing his stake, but his history suggests we should perhaps take that claim with a pinch of salt.
He has earned the nickname the ‘Czech Sphinx’ because of his enigmatic approach to business.
And he is currently fighting on two fronts with his attempted takeovers of Royal Mail and French IT firm Atos.
Vanessa Gold, daughter of the late David Gold, is believed to be open to selling her 10 per cent stake in the club but Kretinsky has given no indication that is top of his agenda at the moment.