The Daily Express claim David Sullivan and David Gold are again actively looking for people with the wealth to take the club to the next stage.
The report say the two Hammers supremos have been looking to bring other investors into the club for over a year but plans had been put on hold this season while Slaven Bilic’s team dropped towards the Premier League relegation zone.
The Express state that Sullivan and Gold want to recoup some of their investment in the club, but both will want to keep their places on the board in the future if any deal is done. Last summer the duo rejected a reported £650million takeover bid for the club from energy drinks giants Red Bull although a bid was later denied by the firm.
A valuation of the club last year put a price on West Ham of around £200m, although Sullivan believed the move to the London Stadium meant the club was worth nearer £400m.
In reality, the owners have never closed the door to new investors so this story is nothing new. Terry Brown and the Harris Family invested £4m in return for 3.8% of the shares in 2010 but there has been no serious interest since to share the financial burden.
I am coming to the conclusion that such a move is needed. The article says to ‘move to the next stage’. I think it is a question of getting back to where we thought we were this time last year- solid top half. The table does not lie. I have been talking myself all season that we have a good squad & the problems are due to Payet, new stadium, injuries. This is denial. We are not good enough. I also thought the owners had the finances to get us to solid top half, but now it looks as if they know they haven’t. Worrying times- new investors could good, but ……
The Davids are worth just shy of a billion but a lot of that wealth will be invested in other interests and to maintain their own lifestyle and to be passeddown to family. Its easy to blow a £200m on a spending spree and get nothing in return. Certainly not long-term success. The new ground will increase our budget substantially and it remains to be seen if the mobey is spent wisely. However, new investment is required and we should embrace this as fans. Its the normal course of business. Problem is, its bound to delight the ‘they’re only in it for the money brigade’.