Former Newcastle owner Amanda Staveley close to buying £150m stake in West Ham

Amanda Staveley is close to becoming a shareholder in West Ham United, with talks progressing ahead of the new season, according to the Daily Mail.

The British businesswoman, who led the Saudi Arabian-backed takeover of Newcastle United in 2021, has been linked with the Hammers for several weeks. 

Negotiations have now reportedly advanced, raising the possibility that an agreement could be completed before the start of the 2026/27 campaign.

Staveley and her husband, Mehrdad Ghodoussi, are looking to acquire the 25 percent stake previously owned by the late David Gold. 

The shares are currently held by Gold’s daughter, Vanessa, and are valued at up to £150 million.

The proposed investment has financial backing from a group of investors based in the Middle East and the United States. 

While no official agreement has been announced, the move would be a huge achievement for Staveley following her departure from Newcastle, where she sold her 10% stake in 2024.

However, the deal is not yet guaranteed. West Ham’s existing shareholders have the right of first refusal through a pre-emption process, meaning they can choose to match any offer before shares are sold to an outside investor. 

That could still delay or even prevent the proposed transaction from being completed.

Another key figure in the ownership picture is Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky, who already owns a 27% share in the club. 

He agreed to purchase around 16% of the Gold family’s holding earlier this year, although that agreement has not yet been finalised. 

Despite increasing his involvement, Kretinsky reportedly has no intention of becoming West Ham’s majority owner.

Current majority shareholder David Sullivan is also an important part of the ownership structure with a 38.8% stake. 

The Independent Football Regulator is currently reviewing his shareholding following allegations of sexual abuse. Sullivan has strongly denied all allegations of sexual misconduct.

Before her interest in West Ham became public, Staveley had also been linked with a possible investment in Tottenham Hotspur following her departure from Newcastle.