League: EPL Sport: Soccer Country: England Category: General

Kretinsky sells stake in West Ham, impacting Staveley's bid

3 sources • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 4, 2026, 12:54 PM

Last updated Aug 4, 2026

Kretinsky sells stake in West Ham, impacting Staveley's bid

Summary

West Ham co-chair Daniel Kretinsky has sold just over 2% of his stake to Czech businessman Jakub Havrlant. This sale complicates Amanda Staveley's attempts to invest as her proposed deal with the Gold family has pre-emption rights clauses tied to existing shareholders. Kretinsky's move enables him to pursue acquiring more shares without exceeding 50%, thus sidestepping mandatory takeover thresholds. The process around the Gold family's share sale could take up to two months to finalize.

Source Links

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Key Details

•Kretinsky sold 2% of his stake to Jakub Havrlant.
•Staveley's investment plans are hindered by pre-emption rights.
•Kretinsky can acquire more shares without triggering a takeover.
•The Gold family's share sale process may take two months.
•Sullivan's ability to bid for Gold's shares remains uncertain.

Latest Updates

5:25 AMYahoo Sports — Daniel Kretinsky moves to block Amanda Staveley in West Ham ownership battle
12:54 PMYahoo Sports — Kretinsky share sale hinders Staveley's Hammers bid
12:54 PMBBC Sport — Kretinsky share sale hinders Staveley's West Ham bid

What they're saying

"
Daniel Kretinsky has made a decisive move in the battle for control of West Ham United, setting up a major ownership showdown that could block Amanda Staveley’s planned investment in the club, The T...
— Yahoo Sports